Beautiful Nightmare
by Yokuraromaru
Summary: A dream containing a night of pleasure was so much more than Kagome expected, especially since the dream turned out to be reality… and she just so happened to sleep with a complete stranger. Her life will never be the same again…
1. Chapter 1

**Beautiful Nightmare**

Warnings: Contains spoilers for Inuyasha: The Final Act and the fourth season of Yu Yu Hakusho. Contains lemon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

**Chapter One**

Chocolate brown eyes scanned over the desk containing the note and the baseball cap. Her heart clenched painfully as her gaze lingered on the hat—it was the only reminder that she had of Inuyasha's existence when her pathetic human memory failed to recall him. Simple things like the sound of his voice and his masculine scent seemed to elude her. After all, it _had_ been nine years since she had last seen him. Her eyes stung, and she tried to blink away the liquid that had gathered in them. It wasn't unusual that she still mourned over him—he _was_ her first love. Whoever knew that your first love would forever have your heart? It was a ridiculous concept, and she expected to be over him after all of this time. Somehow, however, she couldn't find it in herself to let him go.

An emotionless chuckle escaped from her lips as she wiped her tears away. Inuyasha had probably forgotten all about her, and he was probably living his life happily with someone else. The real question was: who would he be spending his life with? Kikyo was deceased—for the second time—and Inuyasha didn't show an interest in anyone else. She dispelled the thought with a shake of her head. It was too painful to think of the love of her life loving someone else.

Kagome put her pillow over her head to block the view of the hat. Every night when she was alone, she would always bathe in her misery. Why couldn't she be like a normal person and move on? Then again, she wasn't a normal person. She was twenty-six, unemployed, still living with her mother, and she had the uncommon powers of a priestess. Yeah, she was _real_ freaking normal—a normal failure at life. It was all thanks to Inuyasha that she never moved forward. She never had the time to actually get a job or continue her education after high school because she was always trying to go back to the feudal era. Even if she did find the time to get a job, she couldn't. She wasn't in the right mindset, and she always moped around in a depressed state. Her mother had suggested that she seek professional help or at least find a boyfriend to take her mind off of Inuyasha, but she always declined. She would find a way back to Inuyasha, at least that is what she told herself.

After reluctantly removing the pillow from her head, Kagome threw her legs over the edge of the bed. The carpet caressed her bare feet as she made her way to the desk and ran her slender fingers across the piece of paper. A small smile barely graced her features as studied the address. Her grandpa had told her about a very wise and powerful old woman by the name of Genkai. He said if anyone knew anything about a way to get through the well, it would be her because it was rumored that she had vast information about things that were not of this world. She laughed at the irony of the situation. She had never believed anything that her delusional grandpa had said before… not until it came to Inuyasha.

Horror seeped into her pores, causing her breath to hitch. She was becoming crazed. No sane person would believe the lies that her grandpa made up. Her mind was such a mess that she had. No, she would not—could not—continue to be a crazy obsessive person who chased a dream that she could never fulfill. But could she really give up the very reason of her existence? A lone tear trickled down her cheek at the thought. She shook her head—she was so weak, centering her life around a man. Where had her strong, independent self gone? She couldn't continue to live like this—nine years was enough of her time wasted on him. She needed to abandon the past and leave it where it belonged.

Kagome's whole body shook from a sob. She knew that she needed to let Inuyasha go for the sake of her well-being, but that didn't mean that it would be an easy ride.

0-0

A curse tore from Hiei's lips as an uncomfortable sensation jolted through his body. An ache began to form in the pit of his stomach, and his power cackled dangerously. In response he felt the dragon on his right arm shift in a slow, lazy movement. His fangs elongated to the point where they almost cut his gums, and saliva gathered in his mouth in anticipation.

His journey across the rooftops ceased. His crimson eyes glided to the silver full moon in the sky, and he growled. How could he be stupid enough to travel to the human world in the time of his heat? He usually paid attention to the moon cycles, but he had become careless as of late. Mukuro wasn't very lenient on allowing vacation time, and when she did permit it, he jumped at the chance to check on his sister's welfare.

It aggravated him that his timing was poor. Considering where he was in the city, he wouldn't make it back to the makai in time to satiate his needs, and he refused to press forward until he was within range of Genkai's temple. He was feral and uncontrollable at this time of the month, and he would be damned if he did anything stupid around his sister.

Given the circumstances, he would have to make due with a human. A scowl fixed on his lips at the thought of having to bed such a weak, worthless creature. He was lucky, however, that he had an alternative for times like this—he could refuse to bed anyone. No sooner did the thought cross his mind did the slight ache in his stomach turn into a full blown wave of pain. It spread from his stomach into the rest of his body, bringing him to his knees on the flat rooftop. His eyes closed, and his face fixed into a grimace. Breath rushed out of his lungs, and he fought the urge to scream—he would not voice his pain! His body quivered from the intensity of it all, and sweat began to emit from his pores.

Minutes passed, and the agony slowly receded. Hiei panted, trying to regain his breath. After a sufficient amount of time, he made it to his shaky feet. Usually it would take hours of ignoring his heat for a wave pain to hit, not seconds. He concluded that this was an abnormal cycle, and his mind tried to calculate when the next wave would hit. He needed to relieve himself, quick.

His former thoughts of refusing to take a partner were long gone, and he removed the bandana from his jagan to scan the area, penetrating through buildings and whatnot. Light blue auras of the city's occupants were revealed, showing him the location and the actions of the surrounding humans. He frowned in distaste, slowly turning in a full circle. He stopped in surprise when he found a pink aura some distance away at a shrine. It was most definitely human, but it was… different. His curiosity piqued, and his feet started moving before his mind gave them the command.

When he arrived at the shrine, he went around the back where the pink aura resided. He put his bandana back in place and looked through the window. On a small bed was a human female, and at such proximity, he could feel the powers of a… miko? Weren't mikos extinct? Nevertheless, he proceeded to open the window. Immediately, his senses were assaulted with the raw feeling of the girl's power and the scent of freesia. He bit back a groan as his body responded, growing hard in his pants. Yes, this girl contained the powers to completely incinerate him, but that added onto the fun. Without further hesitation, he climbed into the window with a smirk on his face.

0-0

Kagome's miko powers surged through her body, waking her almost instantly. She ignored the constant hum of alarm that her powers tried to convey to her. Throwing a hand over her mouth, she tried to stifle a yawn and looked around the dark room. The cool air from the window blew through the room, sending a shiver down her spine. When did she open the window? Too tired to ponder over the question, she scrambled out of her bed and clumsily made her way over to the window. She closed it with a thud, securing the lock in place. She stood there a moment, taking in the calmness of the beautiful night outside of her window.

Her miko powers licked across her skin again, alerting her to a nearby demon. _'That's odd, demons don't exist in this era. This must be a dream…. Yup, I'm still in my bed asleep. It's nothing but a dream.' _Kagome was brought out of her thoughts by a presence that seemed to appear out of thin air behind her. How could she have missed such a strong demonic aura? She spun on her heel, coming face to face with crimson eyes. Fear held her tongue as she took in the appearance of her intruder, or at least she tried to. She couldn't really see much because his body was concealed in the shadows.

The demon took a step forward, revealing his figure in the moonlight that filtered through the window. Kagome tried to take a step back as she took in his features. He was somewhat shorter than her and had black spikey hair. His attire consisted of a bandana over his forehead and a black cloak that concealed his body. He was—for lack of a better word—beautiful, surreal even. This was definitely a dream—no one could be so ethereal, not even demons… well, except Sesshomaru. Her mouth went dry when she tried to form words. Finally she managed to ask the demon who he was with a cracked voice.

The demon ignored her, saying nothing. Something behind his bandana began glowing, and Kagome forgot why she was afraid in the first place. Suddenly, she found herself falling into those crimson orbs, immobilized by captivation. She was falling with nothing to leverage herself. Yeah, this was _definitely_ a dream.

A small smirk tugged at the edges of Hiei's mouth as he picked up the girl's thoughts of this being a dream. If she wanted to believe such a silly thought, then he wouldn't tell her otherwise. His body clenched in anticipation of another wave of pain, and he knew that he had to satiate his needs soon. He licked his lips as his eyes ran over the girl's defined body beneath the indecent silk gown that stopped above her knees. She looked exquisite standing there with fear radiating from her. He loved it when his victims were afraid—it gave him a rush. He couldn't wait any longer, so he closed in the space between them.

She was brought back to reality when she felt fingers tweaking her nipples through her satin night gown. Electricity jolted through her body, and she found herself moaning as color crept up to her cheeks. Liquid began to pool between her legs, and an unknown feeling began to build up in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes drifted close, and soft lips crushed hers in a rough manner. The stranger's tongue brushed against her lips, demanding entrance. _'This is just a dream, so why not?'_ Kagome granted the demon entrance, reveling in the foreign feeling of having another tongue in her mouth, battling with her own for dominance. The hands that were on her nipples moved down to her waist, pulling her groin into Hiei's. If she wasn't the color of a beet already, then she betted that she was now. His… member was poking her through their clothes, not to mention that it felt _huge_!

Hiei's hands traveled greedily over the girl's curvy figure, and he made a mental note of how soft her skin was as he roughly dominated her mouth. They came to settle upon her buttocks, squeezing them. He silenced the girls gasp by deepening the kiss and ripped the fabric of the night gown off of her body, causing her to squeak. He pulled back from the kiss to study her body, which he approved of enormously. He almost frowned when he noticed that she was wearing underwear. "You wear too many clothes." In a swift movement he tore those off of her, too.

Kagome shivered from the cold that rushed her in her exposed state. She was too caught up in the husky, deep sound of the demon's voice that she had forgotten about modesty—never mind that she was wearing a sleazy nightgown, she only wore it because it was highly comfortable to sleep in. Her logical mind seemed to come back in full, alerting her that she was standing naked in front of a stranger, and she moved her arms to cover herself, that was until she felt something suckling on her left breast. Her mind went blank, and she dropped her hands.

Hiei hungrily sucked on the pink nipple, reveling in the moan from the creature before him. With his right hand, he reached out and began playing with the neglected breast. After he was satisfied with his job, he switched his mouth to the other nipple. When he had both breast swollen, he moved lower to more delicate areas, letting the overpowering aroma of her arousal lure him in.

A small sound of protest escaped Kagome's lips when the demon left her breast. Her heartbeat quickened when she felt cool hands separate her thighs. All forms of coherent thoughts rushed out of her mind, and she found herself squirming. Something resembling a whimper escaped her throat when she felt something warm and moist stroke her sex. Was that his tongue? This had to be the best dream ever!

Firm hands flew to the girl's waist to stop her from moving. Hiei didn't want anything to disconnect him from the most delicious thing that he had ever tasted. He ignored the fact that the girl's hand had tangled in his hair. His member throbbed painfully in his pants as he continued his oral assault on the female's most sacred area. The small mewls that came from the girl did nothing to help his physical state, either. Wanting to take it to the next level, he flicked his tongue over her sweet spot, making the girl cum hard. He ignored the ringing in his ears from her screaming and lapped up the wonderful juices.

Kagome panted heavily as she experienced the greatest sensation ever. It felt like a tidal wave of pleasure had ripped through her body, turning her legs into jello and robbing her of her sanity. Her mind was unable to form anything coherent, and she had long ago forgotten her name. Her body still racked with tremors from the aftermath, and her skin felt too hot and too sensitive. She never wanted to wake from this dream, ever.

Hiei separated himself from the girl's grasp, and all but threw Kagome on the bed. With sure quick movements, he rid himself of his clothes, discarding them on the floor. His control was slipping and he could feel the next wave of pain licking at the insides of his stomach. He mounted the girl, looking over her flushed figure before inserting a finger into her slick, tight channel, causing her to gasp. He slowly began to pump his finger, and then he encountered her hyman. God, she was a virgin! He bit back a moan and smirked. He always did like an untouched female, it made for a more pleasurable experience. The girl moaned loudly and began to writhe against his hand.

A curse escaped his lips when he heard movement in another part of the house coming toward the girl's room. Without much thought, he used his jagan to terminate the human's advance, sending them back to their bed. Afterward, he scanned the rest of the house, finding two more occupants. He sent all three of them into a deep sleep and waited a few moments before turning his attention back to the woman.

Unable to take the various sensations coursing through her body, Kagome thrashed about on the bed. When the stranger stopped his actions, she let out a noise of disappointment. She then watched in awe when something behind his bandana glowed again, and his face turned into one of annoyance and concentration. Noticing that he wasn't wearing clothes anymore, she found herself looking down at his perfectly sculpted pale body. He was muscular but not so much that it would take away from his beauty. Her eyes then drifted lower to his manhood, and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks again. There was no way that it would fit! Nevertheless, her voice begged for him to continue despite the fact that she had no conscious mind of doing so.

Hiei growled in response of the girl's breathy plea, and shivers ran down his spine at the request. After removing his nectar coated fingers, he spread her legs, positioning himself in the process. Eager to appease his lust, he sheathed himself inside of the girl in one rough thrust of the hips. The scent of blood assaulted his nostrils as he felt the girl's virginal barrier snap. A moan rushed from his mouth at her tightness. He stopped at her pain-filled cry, waiting some time for her to adjust to the intrusion. Some time passed, and her hands went to his back, urging him on. Slowly, he began a gentle rhythm, even though his body demanded that he go at a harder faster pace.

The pain of losing her virginity was excruciating. The demon was large, not to mention that he was not very gentle in entering her. She voiced her pain and closed her eyes to prevent the tears that had built up from falling. Relief washed through her as the demon went still, allowing her to regain her composure. She refused to reopen her eyes, though, due to the fact that she had grown self-conscious about her body because of the realization that she was actually having sexual intercourse with a complete stranger. She felt better knowing that she couldn't see the disgust that may or may not be in his eyes.

About a minute passed, and she put her hands on his small back, telling him to continue. He started out slow, and she endured the pain until the point where it turned into pleasure. She wanted—no, needed—more. Breathlessly, she whispered her request for him to go faster, and he obliged.

Kagome dug her nails into his back, and her toes curled. She had been missing out all of these years. Cries of pleasure seemed to roll from her mouth without pause, and she tossed her head side to side from the intensity of it all. Without losing his pace, the demon hooked her legs over his shoulders, going deeper. It felt sort of weird because she felt it in her stomach, but it didn't halt her incoherent words or screams. In fact, they only increased. Her breathing became more erratic and she was bordering on the brink of her second orgasm of the night when the demon abruptly withdrew from her. She whimpered in complaint, upset that her ride of pleasure had been cut short.

Hiei smirked when the girl whined from his withdrawal. Little did she know, he was far from finished. He grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her stomach, pushing her head down into the pillow to allow better access. He then pulled her hips up and reentered her weeping slot, shuddering from the pleasure of it as his nails dug into the soft flesh. The girl's cries muffled into the pillow as he resumed his fast speed, burying himself as deep as he could go each time.

Three orgasms later, after her voice was hoarse, Kagome screamed out yet another orgasm. Unlike the past others, this time she heard the demon grunt, and he went still, shooting his seed deep within her. Some moments passed, and he withdrew from her. She fell flat onto the bed, too exhausted to hold her position. Right now a bath would be great to rid herself of all of the juices, but she was too tired and too sore. Almost as if her body was agreeing, her sex started to pulsate with pain—a wonderful pain. It was a good thing that this was only a dream because washing her bed sheets would be hell.

With nothing better to do other than catch her breath, Kagome watched the demon gather his clothes. She was saddened to see her dream lover ready to leave, but she knew that he couldn't stay; dreams didn't last forever. When he began to head to the window, her voice stopped him. "What's your name?" her scratchy voice asked. Yes, he was just a dream, but demons in dreams had names too, didn't they?

Hiei paused at the window, surprised that the woman was speaking to him. He turned toward her exhausted figure, holding in a smirk at his handy work. He allowed some time to pass before turning to the window and opening it. Before he leaped out, he said, "Nobody. I'm a nobody." He then jumped out of the window and became one with the night, satisfied that his heat had been taken care of.

Kagome scowled at the answer that she received but was too drained to argue. She watched the male disappear before allowing her body's constant nagging of wanting to sleep engulf her.

0-0

"Kagome, you have to get up! I thought that you were going to that temple today? It's almost three in the afternoon and you haven't even packed yet!" The deep voice of her brother came through her bedroom door along with the sound of his fist hitting the wood.

Kagome groaned from nerve-racking noise, angry that he interrupted her slumber. "I'm up!" she yelled back. When the banging stopped, she turned to her side and snuggled back into the pillow, wanting to go back to sleep. She felt miserable, and her whole body ached. It felt like she had got hit by a train. She shifted her legs, bringing them up to lessen the pain in her stomach. She stopped midway due to a horrible ache in her womanhood.

Her eyes snapped open, and she jumped out of bed on spaghetti legs. Somehow, she managed to make it to her full body mirror without falling on her face, shrieking in horror at her reflection. She had handprint bruises on her waist and dried blood and semen were on the inside of her thighs. She looked over to the window, finding that it was open. Next to the window on the floor was her shredded underwear and nightgown. Last night wasn't a dream!

"Are you okay? I heard you scream!" Souta's voice drifted through the closed door again.

"I'm fine," she replied, trying to hide the fear in her voice. What had she done?

**Chapter End**

I'm sort of afraid about how this first chapter will be received. I'm new to this whole writing stories and posting them on the internet thing. Can you tell me how you felt about this story in a review? Also, I want to know if you want me to continue this fic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Beautiful Nightmare**

I didn't expect to get so much publicity on the first chapter, thank you! Due to the many requests to continue this fic, I've decided that I will. I hope that you review when you're finished reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho

**Chapter Two**

Tears mixed with the running water as brown eyes endlessly leaked. Kagome had unknowingly given her virginity away in the midst of lust, thinking that it was all a dream. She had always thought that the act of losing her virginity would be filled with love and passion, not blind lust as she randomly handed it to a stranger. The said stranger didn't even have the decency to tell her his name!

What would her mother think of her? Would she accuse her of being a whore, or would she show empathy? Yeah right, she could hear her mother telling her that it was an honest mistake, and everyone sleeps with strangers that just so _happened _to be demons—what a joke!

Her sobs were overridden by the sound of the shower, hiding her despair from her family. She couldn't just move on and act like nothing happened last night—things weren't that simple. No, she would live every day, remembering her mistake.

As if she was watching a movie, visions of her previous night started to play through her head, and her body, like the traitor that it was, began to tingle from the delicious things that it had experienced. Her nipples grew tight, and she could feel lower areas grow hotter without the help of the shower water.

She began to sob harder, instantly blocking out her previous thoughts that caused her arousal. She most certainly _didn't _regret the feelings that she experienced, and if given the chance, she would probably do it again just to _feel _such sinfully wonderful things.

She shook her head, splashing water everywhere. No, she would _not_ repeat her actions. She would not degrade herself to such low levels—she was better than that.

Hypothetically, though, if she _did_ want to have intercourse with the demon again, it wouldn't happen. What are the chances that she would ever see him again? Zero to none, right? So she didn't have to worry about losing herself in those crimson eyes once more. She shuddered from remembering his otherworldly beauty and the things that he could do with his perfect mouth and other… appendages.

God, what had she become? Some random demon came along and showed her a good time, and now, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She closed her eyes in mental agony—she was acting like a whore, then again, who can blame her? She had always had this strange affinity for demons—so much that she was already biased against human males. Last night's events only spoiled her further with the demon kind. She highly doubted that a human male could match a demon's speed, stamina, and satisfaction in the bedroom. It came to no surprise that she would come to crave a demon's sexual touch—anyone would for the amount of pleasure that was involved. Maybe she wasn't a whore after all.

She hoped that her human memories would forget about the feelings from last night, just like they forgot about certain qualities that Inuyasha held. It would fade into the darkness, and she would be able to move on. Yeah, a little time was all she needed. However, until time took its toll, she would still crave the demon, and her foolishness of the previous night would still plague her.

0-0

Kagome stared up at her ceiling, basking in the morning rays from her window that lit up her room, trying to keep a clear mind. It had been two weeks since her… nightly encounter. She had thought that time would help her forget about the things that had happened, and even though it was such a short time, she seemed to be more effected from that night than when it actually happened.

She found herself having withdrawals from the lack of the demon's touch, and she was pretty sure that it wasn't healthy. She would awaken every night in a cold sweat, panting because of the erotic things that she dreamed of. She would hear his silky, seductive voice speaking to her, telling her that she was wearing too many clothes. She would see his form walking up to her, and when she would reach out, he would disappear. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see those beautiful crimson eyes that would pierce through her soul. She didn't know how the demon bewitched her, but the spell needed to be broken, and time wasn't doing a darn thing.

Besides having a new obsession, she was doing fine—if you ignored the constant pull on her. It was hard to describe, but for about a week, she felt restless from staying in the house. It felt like an invisible string was tugging at her, willing her to go to an unknown source. She never followed the silent compulsion, but she knew that whatever was on the other end of the string didn't stay in one place. Some days it would be bearable, a silent hum in the background. Other days she felt like the string stretched across dimensions because it was so strong, practically screaming at her to follow it. Had she not felt so tired, she would have obeyed the compulsion. But seeing as she had been tired, it was easy to force her body to stay put.

Reluctantly, her chocolate pools drifted across her room, landing on the small piece of paper next to Inuyasha's hat. A humorless smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the sight. It was funny how a one night stand would cause enough problems to take up all of her mental space, forcing the dog demon out of her list of priorities.

Sluggishly, she lifted herself off of the bed, making her way to the desk. She picked up the address to Genkai's, pondering over if she should go see the old woman about her current demon issues since she supposedly knew about things that were not of this world. She closed her eyes, wondering if the old woman also knew the answers as to why she felt so awkward after her encounter.

The sensation of fingers ghosting across her skin caused her to shiver, giving her the answer that she sought—she needed to go to Genkai and find a way to track her mystery lover. This madness had gone on for way too long, or at least that is the excuse that she used to convince herself. Kagome would never admit it to herself, but she actually wanted to see her nightly visitor again.

0-0

Something wasn't right—his dragon had been rather restless. Ever since he had left that woman two weeks ago—which he would prefer to forget—he'd been feeling… weird. His dragon had become known for shifting around on his arm at numerous points throughout the past couple of weeks, clearly irritated. Once again, it was shifting, and black energy crackled ominously below his bandages. He scowled at his arm, clenching his right fist as if to contain the spirit world beast. Maybe choosing a miko to bed wasn't the best of ideas—her energy must have tainted him in some way.

A hiss escaped from his lips as an unknown wave of emotion rushed him. That was also out of the norm for him—he never felt anything other than hatred and anger. For the past two weeks he had been overcome with the strange urge to… cry. Although his lacrimal glands didn't work, he still felt wetness sliding down his cheeks, and when he made a move to touch his face, he never found anything there. His chest would constrict, and his body would shake as if he was sobbing, but no sound would ever emerge. Whatever was going on with him, he didn't like it, and he would gladly choose death over the… emotional turmoil that he had been experiencing.

With all of these changes occurring within him, he didn't dare make an appearance in the populated areas of Mukuro's fortress. Luckily, Mukuro didn't question his absence, and when he did confront her, he simply told her that he needed some time. She had been all too willing to grant his request, much to his surprise. Currently, however, he was sitting here, in a dark room in the fortress, glaring at his bandaged arm.

Seemingly wanting to aggravate him further, the dragon on his arm shifted again, begging for him to comply with its demand. What its demand was, he didn't know, but it wasn't its usual thirst for blood. No, it wanted something different, something that he had no knowledge of.

As if answering his unasked question, the human woman that he had bedded appeared in front of him. Her skin was glowing, illuminating the dark room with a soft blue glow. Her chocolate eyes were bright, tilting upward at the corners as a result from her smile that exposed a perfect set of teeth. The dragon seemed to shift again in response to her, agitating him to no end. She used some form of witchery on him, causing him to be in his current state! He stood swiftly, sword drawn and pointed at her throat, hovering an inch away from her flawless skin. "What the hell did you do to me?" The little patience that he did contain had long ago left him.

A carefree laugh that sounded of bells came from her mouth, echoing throughout the room, encasing him in the warmth that it created. This was most certainly no laughing matter! How dare she mock him!

With pent up anger, he unleashed it tenfold on the woman's throat with his sword. He stopped mid-swing of his sixth attack, however, when her form dissipated in thin air. Dumbfounded, he blinked at the empty spot that she occupied only seconds before. After composing himself, a growl erupted from Hiei's lips. No one would dare to make a fool out of him!

He quickly sheathed his sword with expert precision while stalking through the dark room. He all but kicked the door down, narrowing his eyes at the impending light from the larger room. When his eyes adjusted to the light, they ghosted over the room, meeting the questioning stares from Mukuro's minions. Due to his foul mood, his energy engulfed him in a visible black flame, challenging those who were around him. He wanted somebody to say something to him or make the wrong move—it would give him all the more reason to kill them. Disappointed when nobody slipped up, he glared once more at the demons and continued on his path to Mukuro's chambers.

When he reached her door, he smashed it open, disregarding the rule to knock. Rules were meaningless to him, and they _were_ meant to be broken, after all. Mukuro gazed at him with a hint of humor glinting in her blue eye. Hiei idly wondered how she can be so carefree and _exposed_ around him, while in the presence of others, she kept her face covered. He never could understand the reason for her trust in him—he had never given her a reason to trust him—but he wouldn't betray her. Maybe she knew this. When the door behind him slammed, he came out of his thoughts, turning hard eyes to the female demon. "I'm taking an extended leave." Although she was his superior, he wasn't one for asking for things when he wanted something—he would demand whatever he wanted and wait for her to either approve or decline.

Her blue eye ran over his person, studying him. He was more tense than usual, and his crimson eyes seemed to glint with more malevolence. She could feel his dragon tugging at his bandages, causing black streaks of what looked to be electricity to occasionally show through. The very air around him was menacing, swirling in a dark aura. He needed to leave and take care of whatever was bugging him—if her second command couldn't function mentally, then he would compromise her operation. "Go."

That one syllable was all the approval that he needed. Without delay, he became nothing more than a blur as he left. That girl had better wish that luck was on her side today.

0-0

Green eyes stared at the female on the other side of the train, regarding her curiously. He was quite sure that she was a miko, but he also knew that mikos had been extinct for at least five hundred years. It didn't make sense to him. He turned his head when his rather loud mouth friend began to speak.

"Say, Kurama, do you feel that? I don't know how to explain it, but there is a weird energy coming from someone close. It isn't a bad weird, more like a good weird. I first noticed it at the train station," Kuwabara told his red-headed friend.

Kurama nodded in agreement. How could he not feel the energy? It was a good thing that Yoko wasn't close to the surface—he would have tried to… _play_ with the female, to put it delicately. Knowing that his friend wouldn't be satisfied with his nonverbal answer, he decided to speak. "I've noticed. If you're curious, it's the energy of a miko," he answered in a much lower voice, silently reprimanding Kuwabara for how loud he was being.

"A miko, what's that?" Kuwabara whispered.

"Miko means priestess. They existed long ago, and they contained extraordinary spiritual powers."

"Much like me and my spirit energy?"

Kurama had to refrain from chuckling at his friend's question. "Not quite." When Kuwabara was about to ask more questions, Kurama cut him off. "Why don't we delay this conversation until a later time? This isn't the most appropriate place."

"You're telling me when we get to the old lady's," Kuwabara said, not wanting to drop the subject.

"Of course, but wouldn't you be too busy with Yukina?" Kurama asked, arching an eyebrow. He knew that by mentioning the ice demon's name, he would get Kuwabara off of his back for a while, leaving him to himself. When Kuwabara started to daydream, he turned his attention back to the miko.

Being in the same area with a miko fascinated him. Did she know that greatness that she held, or did her powers remain unknown to herself? Wanting to find an answer to his question, he unmasked his demon energy to see if she would notice.

0-0

She was irritated, no, that would be an understatement. She was pissed and wanted to take her anger out on something, anything. What caused her sour mood? She didn't know, but then again, what did she know these days? Nothing made sense anymore—her emotions, her constant state of tiredness, and the compulsion. Speaking of the compulsion, whatever was at the other end of it was moving at a rapid speed. It seemed closer, but she decided to pay it no mind—she had other things to worry about.

She glared out the window of the train that she was currently on, envying the serene scenery that was passing by. Why did everything have to be so calm when she was in a continuous state of chaos? It wasn't fair! The low tingle of her miko powers interrupted her, playing under her skin, trying to alert her for something. She brushed it off, trying her best not snap at the other passengers. Of all of the days, why did she choose this day to go to the temple? Then again, she _was_ in a positive mood before she left home.

As if it was mad at her for ignoring it, her miko powers surged painfully in her body, causing her to flinch and come back to reality. Finally, she took time to analyze why her powers were being such a pain—literally—and she gasped at her discovery. Someone on this train wasn't what they appeared to be. How she was so distracted to not notice the person before was beyond her, but she knew that if she was in the feudal era, she would have been dead by now.

Slightly shocked to find that demons were more common in her time than she thought, Kagome began to search the train for the person who had her energy going crazy. _'The old lady, no. The young woman and her child, no. The middle aged couple, no. The orange-haired guy and his red-headed girlfriend, no. Wait, is that red-head a guy or a girl…? Ugh, this is pointless!'_ She was upset because normally her energy would be able to pinpoint the exact location of the demon; however, this demon was smart, and they effectively hid their location, rendering the passive search with her miko powers useless. Everyone seemed to be human, further grating on her nerves by her lack of accomplishment. Maybe it was just a false alarm. She turned her eyes back to the window, dismissing the issue—it was only making her angrier.

0-0

Kurama had to suppress a smirk when the miko looked around the train, giving him a more pointed look than the others, yet she remained oblivious that he was the demon. She had searched for the source of the energy, clearly answering his question—she knew about her abilities. Wanting to know just how skilled the miko was, Kurama subtly focused his energy, so that he can _see_ and analyze her energy without her knowing that it was him.

A transparent light blue energy swirled around her, encasing her in a pure aura. It mesmerized him with its slow, wave-like motion that gently caressed the air. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the miko energy was trying to expand, wanting to locate him, but it was held at bay by the miko. The woman must have been really skilled to control her energy like that. Feeling that there was something more than the pure energy, Kurama concentrated harder, delving deeper in his investigation of her energy.

The energy gained more of a solid appearance, exposing a black energy within her blue. Unlike the pure vibe that the miko energy gave off, the black energy was dark and tainted. It didn't try to consume the miko energy, nor did it try to attack the woman. Instead, it blended with the pure energy, swirling in perfect harmony with it.

The black energy reminded Kurama of Hiei's—and no two energies were alike—but there was no possible way that it could belong to the fire demon. Hiei hated humans, and he wouldn't even come close enough to her to infuse her energy with his. Gently, he poked at the dark energy with his own, trying to obtain the signature to it. Surprised at his discovery, he lost his concentration, and his energy flooded the train cart. Noticing his mistake, he quickly gathered himself, pulling his energy under control.

"What was all of that about?" Kuwabara asked, being brought out of his lovesick stupor by Kurama's power surge.

Kurama stole another glance at the miko before turning to Kuwabara. "Nothing," he whispered, his voice lacking conviction.

0-0

No more than three minutes passed when she _felt_ a wave of demonic energy float through the cart that she was in, causing her to shudder. On the defense, her energy expanded, switching from passive to active, and chased the opposing energy back to its host. It was definitely not a false alarm! Her head snapped to the side, away from the window, once again browsing the train for the perpetrator. Just like the first time that she scanned the train, she found nothing—the demon had shielded itself again.

She resorted to using her energy actively to search out the demon, frowning when everyone on the train turned out to be human. Maybe it was someone from the outside—it had to be. Knowing that it would be too energy consuming to thoroughly scan for the demon, she turned back to the window, searching for hints of any disturbances outside with her eyes. When she found nothing, she sighed, it was pointless to continue trying.

Suddenly, the compulsion took on a higher level, clouding her mind and erasing all thoughts of a potential demon in the area. Whatever it was that was controlling it pulled at her, hard. She wanted to go home, no, she _needed_ to go home. It took all of her willpower to ignore the urge, and she fidgeted in her seat while trying to fight it. She knew then that something wasn't right as the train raced toward Genkai's…

0-0

Hiei climbed through the window, growling when he discovered that the girl wasn't there. He quickly scanned the house, finding everyone but her. She knew that he would come looking for her after she used her trickery on him, so she escaped!

His eyes landed on the twin sized bed that occupied the room, and his mind meandered. His body tightened at the memories of burying himself deep within the girl's slick folds, and he bit back a groan. He could vividly recall all of the enticing sounds that the girl made, and how she begged him for more.

After processing what just went through his mind, he scowled. This was where she had placed her spell on him. This place was foul and so was the owner. Pissed beyond control, he exploded. After unsheathing his katana, he began to destroy the small room, slashing at the bed, desk, lamp, and everything else in his path. Although it felt good to wreck her place of residence, it wasn't enough—he wanted to take his anger out on the girl. Hiei sheathed his sword and went for the window, planning to wait for her to return home. He took refuge in a large tree just outside the shrine, using the leaves and branches for cover since the sun was still up.

A few seconds passed, and he heard some voices from the inside of the shrine. From the sounds of it, the girl's family had gone into her room and discovered his destruction. Damn, he had made too much noise and alerted them. More eavesdropping soon revealed that they were going to call her and tell her not to come home because somebody was after her and that they were calling the police.

With a curse, he stood. If she wasn't going to come home, then he had no reason to stick around. It wasn't exactly a bad thing, though. He _loved_ hunting—it was in his demon blood. He _was_ a predator, and tracking his prey gave him a thrill like no other. Thinking about the screams that came from his victims after he found them caused him to tremble with anticipation. He would definitely enjoy this little game.

**Chapter End**

I know, this chapter wasn't as exciting as the first, but I would love if you review and tell me how you feel about it. I have the rest of the story planned out, and your reviews will help me get them typed up faster.


	3. Chapter 3

**Beautiful Nightmare**

Wow, the amount of reviews, alerts, and favorites that I received are unbelievable! I can honestly say that I was shocked. I must say, I almost had a heart attack from the last chapter's reviews—I didn't expect to get so many. I have the best readers in the world! I would like to give thanks to each and every one of you! You've made me very happy! Sorry it took me so long to get this out, but between my birthday, college, and my uncle passing, I haven't had much time to type. Without further delay, here is the third chapter. I hope that it is appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

**Chapter Three**

Gradually, Kagome's fidgeting settled down, and her angry mood changed to that of elation. She no longer wanted to go home, instead she found herself anticipating something that would result in extreme satisfaction, and she wanted to bounce all over the place like a child. Considering that she was on a train and that she was an adult, she held still. Was she happy to be going to Genkai's? After turning the thought over in her head, she discovered that she was actually quite worried about it. What if she didn't get the answers that she sought? With a sigh, she came to the conclusion that she didn't know why she was excited, and she wasn't coming close to figuring it out.

With the intent on distracting herself for the rest of the ride, Kagome decided to try and find something to get into. She found her distraction when she noticed that the red-headed… teen—whose gender has yet to be determined—was subtly watching her from their peripheral. Oddly, she wasn't upset about the attention that they were showing her, but she did want to know what they were. She started going over the teen's features, taking note of their features such as the shape of their face, the broadness of their shoulders, and the overall structure of their body. They could be a very pretty guy or a very ill-built female, she resolved.

Still unsatisfied with her lack of discovery, Kagome figured that she would find a way to personally find out the red-head's sex. Whilst going through the different ways that she could achieve her task, she failed to come up with anything other than hearing the person's voice. Sadly, she couldn't think of a way to start a conversation. Labeling the thought of bluntly asking for their gender as rude, she drew a blank. Was there not a way to start a conversation without seeming disrespectful?

Too absorbed in her thoughts, Kagome failed to realize that someone had changed seats so that they could sit next to her. The authentic scent of wild flowers flooded her sense of smell, causing her to question where she was—it smelled like she was in the middle of a field of flowers. The scent was so strong that it seemed impossible to have been replicated through the use of perfumes or soap. Instead of being nauseating because of the strength of the aroma, it had the opposite effect. There was an addicting quality to it that made one want to inhale more than what was present to their nostrils. Following the intoxicating scent was a smooth masculine voice, bringing Kagome from her distracted mind.

"Excuse me, are you alright? You seemed to be troubled."

All at once, Kagome's problems dissolved into nothingness. That voice presented a soothing quality that draped around her small form, melting her into a quiet calm. A false sense of everything being right in her world became present, and she forced herself back to the current situation, intent on finding out the source of it. The red-head came into view, and her eyes landed on the prettiest green spheres that demanded attention. At least now she was able to tell that the red-head's gender was male, but that didn't matter anymore.

She stared into the male's eyes, failing to flinch from his inquisitive gaze that gave the impression that he was seeping into her soul and finding her deepest, darkest secrets. He seemed far too wise for his age, having the eyes of one who had seen many hardships and fought many battles. She was also able to tell that he was very dangerous, and that she should have been afraid of his uninvited intrusion of her space, yet she felt that he wouldn't harm her in any way. How she knew this, she didn't know, but she felt like he was her longtime friend that she had known for years—he felt like family. The problem was, she had never met him in her life.

0-0

Hiei paused midstride, puzzled as to why he had suddenly thought of Kurama. He hadn't seen the demon since he left to accept Mukuro's invitation, and in all honesty, he hasn't thought about the male. It may have seemed wrong to not even take a small amount of time to check on the fox, but he was too preoccupied with his duties to Mukuro, and it didn't help that the said fox was on an opposing side in demon world due to the fact that he was Yomi's flunky. Despite the circumstances, though, now was a random time to pull Kurama from his memory bank. Even though he wouldn't admit this to anyone, the fox was his friend, and he did hold respect for him, but why would he think of him in the middle of his hunt?

Automatically, Hiei was brought out of his thoughts of Kurama. He had a mission in mind, and finding the girl was more important than harboring over a trivial matter. She would pay dearly for what she did to him—forget Koenma's law of him not being able to kill humans. There wasn't anything that the spirit world prince could do to him considering the fact that Koenma practically threw him at Mukuro upon her request to have him in her army. Technically, he was under demon world laws, and there wasn't a law there that prevented him from delivering a death sentence.

Without the use of his jagan—because he didn't want to take the enjoyment out of his hunt—Hiei resumed his tracking, avoiding human eyes by means of untraceable speed. Each step provided him with a high, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on the miko. She didn't know the meaning of true fear until she stared down the reflective surface of his blade as he slit her throat. Yes, she would scream in terror, and he would laugh at her misfortune. A smirk played on his lips as he imagined her trying to escape from him, and he wanted her to try her hardest to live—it just wouldn't be fun if his target wasn't saturated in a hopeless fear that wouldn't save her. He wanted the miko to beg for her pitiful life as he eliminated her.

0-0

Kagome had learned that the red-head's name was Suichi through small talk. She was usually shy when it came to meeting new people, yet somehow, he had proven to be easy to talk to. She didn't realize how lonely she was until she actually started talking to someone new. Then again, years of solitude can do that to a person. It wasn't until she saw a hand waving in front of her face that Kagome realized that she had zoned out. "What was that?" She redirected her attention to the teen next to her.

"I was asking where your destination is," Suichi replied with a chuckle.

Flushing at her empty headedness, Kagome briefly thought about if she should tell him the truth—she _did_ just meet him, after all, and she didn't know the motivation behind his question. For all she knew, he could have been a stalker. Immediately, the thought died where it began. He wasn't a stalker, she was almost certain. The evidence to back up her trust wasn't present, but she had a hunch that he wasn't. What person with such beautiful looks needed to be a stalker? After trying to come up with more reasons why she should lie, Kagome surrendered, finding none. "I'm going to Genkai's temple."

For the briefest of moments, she could have sworn that Suichi's gentle eyes hardened, but the look disappeared as quickly as it appeared, making her second-guess herself. Still, she couldn't have imagined it, so she decided to call him on it. "What was that look? Do you know her?"

Suichi slightly tilted his head to the side in an adorable confused manner, playing innocent. "I have no idea what look you could possibly be talking about. As far as me knowing master Genkai, yes, I know her. Tell me, why are you heading there of all places?"

Kagome sighed. This guy was either nosey, or his questions had more meaning behind them than he was letting on. Once again, she began to ponder over her answer. She knew that she definitely wasn't going to tell him the truth about her reasons for visiting, but what could she possibly say. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously, searching for a plausible lie, but came up short. Suddenly, an idea came to mind, and she blurted out, "I want to know if she can train me!" After all, her grandfather did say that she was a master in martial arts. Thinking that she had come up with an intelligent lie, she smiled, but she dropped it when Suichi lifted an eyebrow.

After some time and a staring contest, Suichi spoke up. "Interesting. Why would you choose to go to her when you could have taken classes closer to where you live?"

'_What is this, twenty-one questions?' _Kagome resisted another urge to sigh. Without wanting to seem suspicious, she automatically answered. "I'm a special case, and I need more than what the others have to offer me." She weakly smiled, hoping that Suichi would get the hint and drop the subject. Her brain was too fried to make up any more lies, and she was tired from the lack of sleep.

As if he was able to tell that she was reluctant to continue, Suichi nodded and ceased with his questions. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. "Do you mind if I sit here for the rest of the ride? As you can see, Kuwabara has fallen asleep, and he has the tendency to talk and drool in his sleep, sometimes simultaneously." He chuckled, pointing a thumb at the carrot top.

Kagome agreed to let him stay after glancing at Kuwabara. As long as Suichi didn't start asking complicated questions again, she was fine with him being next to her. He had a type of soothing atmosphere surrounding him, and it was calming her nerves.

All too soon, she found herself dozing off from her tiredness, and instead of fighting it like she normally would have, Kagome found herself submitting to her body's wishes. Right when she was between the border of consciousness and dreamland, a voice interrupted her with a single word: run. That one word spoke in masses despite it being no more than a whispered demand. The questions that she asked herself was who could have possibly conveyed the message and why?

0-0

Kurama had begun to make small talk with the miko so that he could better analyze her powers and further confirm his earlier findings—it was easier to be inquisitive if the subject of your studies trusted you. With his current proximity, he could easily feel out her energy without being detected.

After some time, he didn't find anything new about her powers, but he did discover that she was going to Genkai's temple. However, she didn't give him a truthful answer about why she was going. Having a fox demon reside in his body did have its perks—he was able to detect her lie through Yoko's powers. He would have to warn Genkai about the girl when he arrived, her untold motive could prove to be disastrous.

When he milked her of all the information that he could get at the present moment, he allowed her to attempt some hours of sleep. After all, it was much easier to assess a sleeping target than it was a conscious one. He would be able to fully scan her aura and investigate why Hiei's was mixed with hers. Also, he would be able to gain access to her memories. Although it was difficult task to accomplish discreetly with spectators, he could extract her memories through the usage of one of his plants. He would just have to plant one of his seeds on her, and then he would be able to skim through her past experiences. Yes, it was an invasion of sorts that he prefered to not have to resort to, but when the life of someone he cared for was potentially at risk, he would do so without remorse.

He listened as her breathing and heartbeat began to transition into its resting state, and he waited. Currently, she was semi-conscious, but given a few more minutes, she would be sleep. He paid close attention as her body gradually relaxed as she rested her head against the window to her left, waiting for the right time to plant his seed. Suddenly, she shot up straight, frantically looking around the train for something. Instead of startling from her actions, he put on a worried expression and asked her was she alright.

"Did you hear something?" She asked as her brown eyes finally landed on him.

He replied with a simple no and waited for her to continue. When she didn't, he prompted her further. "Is something the matter?" He briefly wondered if she was crazy because nobody in the cart that they were in had said anything. When Kagome responded with a shrug, he decided to let it go for the time being. Knowing that she wouldn't attempt to sleep again in her current state of alarm, Kurama just waited, knowing that she would eventually drop her guard again. No more than five minutes later, her eyelids where slowly drifting close, so he decided that he would analyze her aura again until she fell into a deep state of slumber.

Just like the last time, he concentrated on her energy, blocking out his surroundings. In a slow, swirling manner, the miko energy danced around Kagome, all but one part. Hiei's energy—which he previously discovered about the black part—had navigated to be close to him, almost like it was reaching out to him. Confused as to what else that he should do, he reached out to it, only to have in encase his hand with unnatural warmth. It felt like he was becoming reacquainted with his friend, but it was also very different. He took this time to get a better analysis of the energy's purpose of why it was connected to Kagome. It took him no more than a second to realize its reason for being there. Gasping, he drew his hand back as if he was burned. At the same time, the train reached its destination.

0-0

Seconds after she got off of the train, Kagome's phone started to buzz in her pocket. Having long forgotten that she even owned a phone, she jumped with a small yelp, earning curious glances from nearby people. With a nervous chuckle, her fingers fumbled through her pockets, locating the mobile device. Upon flipping open the black phone, she realized that she had several voicemails and a few text messages. Automatically, she pushed the button to call her voicemail while putting the phone to her ear.

A gasp came from her lips as she listened to her mother's frantic voice through the speaker. Most of her mom's words were incoherent, and Kagome barely deciphered the message that the older woman tried to deliver. The most that she was able to make out was that something had happened at the shrine. She went through the other messages, receiving more messages that seemed more panicked than the first.

Her emotions of worry must have been clear on her face because of the amount of attention that she was receiving, so she began walking in a random direction, trying to go for the stoic look—she didn't need strangers in her business. When it got to the point where she couldn't understand any of her mother's words, Kagome disconnected the call from her voicemail and dialed her house phone, hoping to find out what the uproar was about.

As if the house phone was glued to her mother's hand, the older woman picked up in the middle of the first ring. "Hello, Kagome?"

"Yes, mom, it's me. What happened, do you need me to come home?" Kagome asked, praying that her family was okay.

"Somebody broke into your room and destroyed it."

"What?" Kagome yelled into the microphone, wondering if she had heard the woman correctly. Once again, people began to stare, and they started to make an effort to avoid her. "What do you mean somebody destroyed my room?" she added in a more suitable volume, trying to not seem psychotic.

"We think that someone was after you—they didn't touch anything but your room. It looks like they used a sword. The cops are investigating it now. If you can, try to stay away until the culprit is caught. I don't want…."

"Mom?" Kagome asked, wondering why her mother stopped midsentence. Looking at her phone screen, she discovered that she had lost her phone signal. Glaring at the phone as if she could retrieve the signal with her icy look, she realized that it would not come back.

Trying to figure out who would be after her, Kagome continued to meander while nibbling on her lower lip. She hadn't been in contact with anyone other than her family for quite some time now… unless it was that demon. Come to think of it, he did have a sword with him that night. Her eyes widened as she came to the realization that the attack, the voice that had told her to run, and the weird compulsion that she was feeling had come from the same person. But why was he after her? She hadn't done anything to him.

"If you're lost, then you can travel with Kuwabara and I. We're heading to Genkai's temple as well."

Kagome jumped and looked at Suichi. Considering that she didn't exactly know where the temple was located at and that she had a deranged demon after her, travelling with them would be safer. Unable to find her voice, she nodded in agreement. That one night stand was proving to be more trouble than what it was worth. And to make matters worse, the compulsion had dimmed out, meaning that the demon was near.

0-0

To say that she wanted to scream was an understatement. Before her was a colossal set of stairs that seemed to go on forever. She was used to the stairs at her family's shrine, but this was just ridiculous. Who in their right mind would do something like this? It was cruel and unusual punishment.

Interrupting her mental rant was a chuckle from Suichi, causing her to shoot him a glare. She watched him as he ascended three stairs before turning to look at her.

"Oh, come on. It isn't that bad. On average, it only takes us about half of a day to reach the top," Suichi said with a serious face.

"Really, I never thought that it took that long," Kuwabara added before a horrified expression crossed his face. "No, Yukina! Hold on, my love! Your knight in shining armor is on his way!" The orange-haired teen then started to run up the stairs.

Kagome let out an undignified shriek, completely ignoring Kuwabara's actions. "What do you mean half of a day?" Her legs ached at the thought of climbing the monstrous stairs.

"I was only joking, but if we wish to reach the top in a decent time, then I suggest that we get going," Suichi ended, turning to continue his climb.

Defeated, Kagome assumed her position beside the red-head, hoping that her legs would hold out. About ten steps up, she asked, "Are there any inns around here?"

"Not for miles. May I ask why?" Kurama asked, noting that Kuwabara was already close to the top.

'_Because a demon is after me,' _Kagome thought. "There are some… complications at my house."

"Is that why you were so distraught when you were on the phone with your mother earlier?" Kurama asked, keeping his eyes on the stairs before him, making a note of Kuwabara being out of sight. Sensing that Kagome was sending him a questionable stare, he added, "You weren't exactly speaking in a low tone, and I overheard some of your phone conversation. Do you happen to know who broke into your room?"

Kagome paused, looking at the red-head in horror. "How did you know about that?" There was no use in denying it if the guy already knew. She was beginning to question if he may have had anything to do with it instead of the demon that she had slept with.

"Rest assured, I had nothing to do with the vandalism," Suichi said, reading her accusing expression from the corner of his right eye. "Like I said earlier, I overheard your phone conversation." He turned a hardened look on the woman.

"I don't know who broke into my room," Kagome answered in a low voice, turning away to continue up the stairs. A hand clamped around her wrist, tight enough to pause her strides but not tight enough to bruise. Her miko energy flared at the gesture, threatening the offender. "Let go of me."

"You know who did it, though. Tell me, what are your true intentions for visiting Genkai?" Suichi's voice was equally as threatening in response to the energy that maliciously licked at his hand.

"I told you already, now let go!" Kagome tugged at her arm, failing to free it. The situation was going downhill, fast. She needed to find a way to escape. Just as she was about to run and break free of Suichi's hold, a demonic energy flared behind her. Terrified, she turned her head, only to be met with golden eyes that didn't belong to Suichi. "You were the demon on the train?"

"That is not important," Yoko's deep voice said with a deadly calm, disregarding her words. "What are your intentions for Genkai, and what are your ties to Hiei? Lie to me again, and I cannot guarantee your life."

Kagome exerted her energy through her wrist, burning the demon with her powers. He let go of his hold on her, jumping back in a defensive stance as he gracefully balanced himself on the stairs. A quiet storm was present in his golden eyes regardless of his impassive face.

"I already told you why I need to see Genkai, and I don't know anybody named Hiei!" Kagome responded, her energy encasing her with belligerence. If he wanted a fight, then he was going to get one.

"I was trying to do this the easy way, but since you wish to be so difficult, then I have no other choice." Yoko drew a red rose from his silver locks, transforming it into his signature rose whip, watching as Kagome took careful step back, readying her energy for a counter attack.

0-0

Crimson eyes looked onto the scene before him with fury. Whether he was angry because Yoko was trying to take his kill, or because he had interrupted his hunt, he didn't know. He struggled to contain his dragon that was currently trying to break free, but, as always, it was stronger, and he was losing the war.

With the pride of not allowing someone else to take his kill, and his sword in hand, he leapt from the branch, ready to take the girl's head off in one swing. In midair, his vision blurred, and he lost his hold on the hilt of the sword, dropping it. A roar that didn't belong to him emitted from his throat, and he was swallowed by a black energy.

**Chapter End**

Sorry, but I had to end the chapter there. Don't chase me with pitchforks yet, though, I'm working on the next chapter now to catch up on lost time. Your reviews are highly appreciated, so go on, click the link, you know you want to. Your reviews motivate me to no end, and they make me type faster.


	4. Chapter 4

**Beautiful Nightmare**

Well, I've updated in eleven days. That's not bad, is it? I tried to hurry and get this out to you despite having my finals and being out of town for four days. Thank you for all of your reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor Yu Yu Hakusho

**Chapter Four**

Kagome took a step back to mirror the silver fox before her. To say that she was scared was an understatement. Yes, she was accustomed to demons attacking her in the feudal era, but given the amount of time that she had spent in her time, she had grown accustomed to the safety of not having to face demons on a regular.

She met his golden gaze with calculation, trying to predict his next move while trying not to show her fear. In her past, she never had to face a demon of such strength alone, so she had to be shrewd and outwit him if she hoped to walk out of this alive. Taking hold of her raging miko powers, she concentrated on it, forging it into a defensive and offensive tool. Should the demon before her attack, her energy would deflect it and immediately lash out to engulf him by means of purification. However, it would only work if his defense wasn't as good as hers or better.

"I was trying to do this the easy way, but since you wish to be so difficult, then I have no other choice." The demon stated before drawing a red rose from his silver locks. She watched this display, bracing herself and questioning how he could possibly go on the offense with a rose. She could understand a sword, she could even understand a simple stick, but a flower? She almost deadpanned, but then his energy flowed into the flower, transforming it into a green, thorny whip.

Changing tactics, Kagome took another step back so that she was closer to the trees behind her and changed her energy to drop her barrier and mend it into an all-out offense for a counterattack. If he was planning on attacking her from a long distance, then the barrier that would automatically retaliate would prove to be ineffective since she wouldn't have direct contact with his skin. It would be a waste of energy, so she would just have to try to dodge his whip and try to get close enough for a direct attack. Sadly, she couldn't use her energy for a long distance attack without her arrows—a handicap that could result in her demise.

The sound of a sword unsheathing caused Kagome to go frigid, and she resisted the urge to follow the fox demons stare that was now looking behind her. Before she could think of who could possibly be behind her, the sound of a screechy roar reached her ears, instinctively making her cover them with her hands to save her eardrums.

Suddenly, a piece of her felt like it was reaching behind her to greet the source with welcoming arms, and a large black dragon leaped over her head. It had no definite form in its large beauty, but its thunderstorm energy seemed to suck in all of the air around it, giving it structure.

The sky changed from that of a large void of blue into an ominous black, lighting the sky with black streaks of lightening in the presence of the spirit world beast. In the middle of its large head was a small figure that seemed so familiar yet so foreign. She couldn't tell who it was, though, seeing only that they were incased in a semitransparent black flame.

Knowing that she should be afraid, Kagome had a fleeting thought of taking cover in the trees behind her before the dragon reached the ground, but her feet refused to move. She had never seen anything so beautiful, and given since everything seemed to move at such a fast pace, she found herself not blinking due to the fact that she didn't want to miss a second of the large beast.

All at once, everything changed. The dragon came to a landing as its energy collided with hers, except there was no negative reaction from her pure energy. Although it had no solid form and seemed to go through her because of its transparency, its energy was infinite, thus wrapping her in a black flame. The dark energy meant her no harm, but it was so great in power that it began to suffocate her, causing her to gasp for air in its smoldering heat that oddly didn't burn her skin. Finding the suffocation as a threat, her miko energy flared, creating a negative mixing of the dark and pure energies.

As a result, Kagome found herself losing her solidity, feeling as if every molecule of her being was deteriorating. It didn't take too long before she felt like she was being dragged under an unseen current, and she was unable to stop herself from being consumed, for it felt like there was no gravity keeping her grounded. Her soul was being destroyed while her body remained intact, and all that she could do about it was wrap her arms around her midsection and scream. It felt like a hand had pushed her away from the black flames just before her body collided with something hard, and she lost consciousness.

0-0

_Awaken! _

Kagome groaned at the voice that seemed to penetrate her brain and disturb her slumber. She felt like hell due to the fact that she had a splitting headache and she was exhausted beyond words. In all honesty, she felt like she had run around the world three times with someone constantly beating her in the head with a hammer.

_Stand, now._ The voice ordered in a much gentler voice, although it sounded like a deep growl.

Disoriented yet feeling the need to comply, Kagome slowly opened her eyes, ready for an assault on her pupils from a bright light. Finding only darkness, she opened her eyes fully and put a hand on what she assumed was the ground to lift her into a sitting position with wobbly arms. Carefully so that she wouldn't lose her balance, she pushed herself into a standing position. Stumbling from a wave of vertigo, she fell into an unseen wall. Not wanting to move until she fully composed herself, she chose to question the voice to pass time. "Who are you, and where am I?"

A deep growl met her request, sending blasts of warm air in her direction. Had she not been holding onto the wall, she would have fallen over from the force of the gust. She shivered involuntarily, reluctant to say anything else to anger the unknown source of the voice.

_You should be more respectful to me. Not only did you question me, but you also lacked appreciation for me saving your weak human life. _

Not being one who would allow herself to be bossed around, Kagome tried her luck. "I don't recall asking for _your_ help, whoever _you_ are. And what do you mean by you saved my life—I never knew that I was dying." Never mind her run in with that fox demon.

A humorless cackle that lacked anger reverberated through the pitch black room, vibrating through Kagome's small form. _You are either very brave or very stupid, woman. Considering that you failed to control your energy and attacked me, thus almost obliterating your spirit, I will choose the latter. Also, you chose to go against the spirit fox, Yoko Kurama, which also labels you as stupid. There was no way that you could've defeated him single-handedly, miko or not. Normally, I wouldn't care one way or another how a human chooses to live their life, but you are no longer living for yourself, and you cannot be so rash anymore._

First, the… thing—as she chose to call the unknown entity since she didn't know what it was— insults her, calling her stupid. Then it decides to tell her how to live her life? Who or what did it think that it was? Knowing that she should choose now to speak her mind and cut whatever it was down to size, Kagome thought the better of it. If she blew up, she wouldn't get the answers to her questions. "You still never answered me," she interrupted with a dismissive voice.

_It is rare that I would encounter a woman with such a… disregard for their safety. However, this one time, I will honor your request. As for who I am, that isn't important as of yet. Just know that you will be hearing more from me at future times that I deem necessary. And you are currently inside of a different dimension. Due to your self-destructive behavior, I had to bind your soul to a different dimension so that it wouldn't diminish._

If one more person tells her that who they are wasn't important, then Kagome would scream. Luckily for anonymous number two—the spikey-haired demon being the first— she had more questions. "When can I leave this… dimension? And what happened to my body and that fox demon?"

_Inquisitive one, aren't you? You will be allowed to leave this dimension when I allow you to leave, and your body is safe at the moment. As for Yoko, I have dealt with him. He shouldn't present you with any more troubles. Enough idle chat, come fourth._

As much as Kagome disliked that anonymous number two thought that he controlled her, she pushed herself off of the wall carefully, waiting for some form of guidance through the darkness. As if on cue, the faint glow of candles illuminated, lining a dark stoned hallway with black flames. Despite her better judgment, she began to trek through what seemed like an endless corridor, resisting the urge to shiver from the chill that hung in the air.

With each step, she felt like she was walking straight into a trap, for every step brought her closer to an immense energy. It felt malevolent in nature, but considering that there was no other way, she continued forward. Up ahead, she could barely make out old wooden doors on either side. Upon getting closer, she noticed that there was writing in blood across every door. Birth, abandonment, hatred, bloodlust, resolve, endurance, power, contentment, death, rebirth, and stagnation were written across the doors in this order, causing Kagome to wonder what type of sadistic bastard that this entity was. Her curiosity begged for her to open the doors and see what was inside, but she wasn't the type to go around and touch blood—it was unsanitary. "What does the writing on the doors mean?"

_Can you not read, or do you not know the definition of the words?_

"I'm getting tired of you speaking down on me like you are superior!" A scowl fixated on Kagome's face, following her outburst.

_That is because I am, miko. You are nothing but a weak human. I can easily annihilate you with a flex of my powers, and you would be powerless to safe yourself. You should accept my talking to you as a compliment—I despise humans, and you hold no special status with me than the other mortal scum who call themselves humans. I would hold my tongue if I were you because if not for one reason, I would have killed you long ago._

"I'm not afraid of you, and if you hate me so much, then why don't you just kill me?" She added more confidence to her step, hiding the fact that she wanted to fall over from her lack of energy. She would show anonymous number two that she wasn't just some weak human.

_After you have served your purpose, I might just accept your offer. Don't tempt me. Your casualty would mean nothing to me._

"And what is my purpose? Why do y_ou_, Mr. Powerful, and I use that term loosely, need _me_, a disposable mortal?"

_Silence!_

Kagome flinched. She knew when she should shut her mouth, and now was one of those times. It wouldn't do her any good if she got herself killed because of her anger. However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't continue this conversation later, but as of now, she would shut up.

After what seemed like hours of walking, the hallway finally ended at large wooden door that towered over Kagome, standing at least ten times her height. Unlike the other doors that she passed by, this one was unmarked, and behind it was a massive energy. Hesitant to push forward, she stopped and rested her hand against door. Dark energy played through her fingers, causing her to pull her hand back from the uncomfortable sensation.

_Enter._

Afraid of the unknown, yet unwilling to defy the voice, Kagome swallowed hard, nodding slightly. Slowly, she pushed her palm against the door, putting her weight behind it. When the door didn't budge, she applied her other hand and put all of the muscle power that she owned into it. A few grunts and some beads of sweat later, the door moved a little, scraping across the floor with a loud screech. Through the small crack that she had accomplished, a large blast of energy flew out of the opening, slamming Kagome into the wall behind her. She fell to her knees, winded from the assault.

_Get up! How dare you call yourself a miko when you couldn't even withstand a small fraction of my power? _

Panting, Kagome struggled to her feet by supporting most of her weight on the wall. She refused to look weak in front of this thing. Unfortunate for her, however, the power continued to pour from the opening of the door, plastering her to the wall. There was no way that she was going to be able to resist it and walk through.

All of a sudden, Kagome got an idea. Although she couldn't use her energy to battle the opposing dark energy, she could use her energy as a shield. Without further delay, she erected a barrier around herself, and the wind from the other energy ceased to affect her. With a newfound smugness, she made her way through the door, slowly but surely.

Inside was another pitch-black room, and, once again, Kagome couldn't see anything. One by one, a black candle lit with a black flame, lining the large circular room until all of them were giving off an eerie black radiance of light. What was revealed to Kagome almost made her turn tail and run.

Before her was a large black dragon. It was, however, unlike the one that she had seen earlier that day. In size, this one was at least the size of five city blocks, making the previous dragon seem like a baby in comparison. Also, its form was defined with solidity, unlike the transparency of the other one. Black, shiny scales adorned his enormous snake-like body, going all the way into its long tail that coiled upon itself at the end. Intelligent human-like silver eyes that were slanted at the tip stared down at Kagome with disgust. Puffs of smoke emitted through its large snout with every exhale before swirling and disappearing in the air. One long scaled arm reached out to Kagome, causing her to take a step back, withdrawing from the claws at the end of each finger.

_Hold still. I wish not to harm you—at the moment—but bestow upon you power. You are too weak to carry out my will at the moment, and with your foolish ways, you are at risk of perishing before I'm done with you._

Kagome stood frozen with fear, not wanting to defy the beast. However, although her body was frozen, her mouth wasn't. "S-since when did I agree to be used as your pawn?" She tried to sound strong, but her voice quavered, highlighting her terror.

_The decision was neither yours nor mine to make._

Despite glistening in the light from its sharpness, the claw that touched her stomach was gentle. Black flames ignited, swallowing her small form, yet it didn't burn nor smother her. It was as breathable as air, except for the fact that it held a warm quality to it. A foreign warmness began to pool in the pit of her stomach, soothing her down to her soul. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was protected, and that nothing could ever threaten her or bring harm to her again. She watched in awe as the dark flames began to recede, leaving only a small flame burning on her lower belly. Soon after, that flame also disappeared, leaving her feeling like a brand new person. No longer did she feel exhausted nor have a headache. Instead, she was in no pain, and she felt like she could run ten marathons in a row. When the dragon started to take its arm back, she couldn't help but ask what he had done to her.

_Whenever you are in danger, call upon me, and I shall aid you._

Before Kagome could overwhelm the dragon with fifty more questions, her vision became blurry, and her legs gave out, sending her to the floor.

0-0

The feeling of being covered in something warm was the first sensation that she felt when she became aware of her surroundings. Was she still in the room with the large dragon, or was it all just a dream?

The second sensation that she felt was that of something cool on her forehead. No, she may have a crazy imagination, but it wasn't _that_ crazy. The dragon was most definitely real.

"Master Genkai, did you feel that?" a smooth voice asked.

'_I know that voice.'_ No more than three seconds later, Kagome forced her body upright from its laying position, turning a glare in the direction that she had heard Suichi's voice. With a groan, she covered her eyes while remembering why it wasn't a good idea to carelessly open them inside of a bright room when you're just waking up.

"Are you alright?" A woman's voice asked, increasing in volume, causing Kagome to assume that the woman was advancing on her.

Kagome nodded, slowly opening her eyes so that they could adjust to the brightness of the room. When her pupils were constricted enough, she looked at the short woman beside her. Her focus then switched to the red-head in the corner of the medium sized room, and she shot him a narrowed gaze. "What is he doing here?"

Before the old woman could respond, Suichi chimed in. "My apologies. I wasn't going to actually attack you, more so scare you into admitting the truth as to why you were visiting master Genkai. The events that occurred afterward were unexpected."

Recollecting the fact that she was here for Genkai, Kagome brushed Suichi's apology aside. Demon or not, he just wasn't on her list of priorities right now. Looking to the patiently waiting elderly woman, Kagome completely forgot about Suichi's presence. "Are you master Genkai?"

"No, I just like to impersonate her while frolicking around in her temple."

Choosing to ignore the snide remark, Kagome wondered how she ended up in here in the first place. The last thing that she remembered was a dragon intervening with her and—according to the dragon—Yoko Kurama's battle.

"I felt the three power surges and headed to the front with the hopes of making it before things got messy. When I reached the stairs, you were already unconscious, and Yoko was changing back into Kurama."

Wait, how did the Genkai know what she was thinking? Could she read minds? Kagome looked at the woman with an expression of disbelief.

"No, I can't read minds. I read your face. Now that we have all of the chit-chat out of the way, would you mind explaining your reasoning for visiting? Kurama told me that you lied about your reasons for coming."

How easy was it to say that you slept with a stranger, and you weren't able to get them off of your mind, so you want to go and find them? That sounded too weird, but there had to be a way to tell some of the truth without revealing everything, right? "Well, you already know that demons exist, so I have that question answered already." Insert foot in mouth now before further making an idiot out of herself. "But the real reason that I've come is… uh, because there is a demon that I seek, and I hear that you know of things that are not of this world. Is there any particular place where demons reside?" Kagome's gaze kept flicking to the red-head who had an intense gaze on her. Not only was she nervous under his stare, but she just succeeded in sounding crazy.

After spending some time deep in thought, Genkai looked to Kurama and nodded to the door, gesturing for him to leave. When Kurama complied, she turned her brown eyes back to the girl before her. "I take it that you don't know how to fully harness your miko powers?"

Instead of being agitated that a stranger knew so much about her, Kagome was relieved. It saved her time with explaining, and she liked the fact that Genkai got straight to the point. But the real question was: what would her miko powers have to do with finding a demon? "Excuse me, master Genkai, but how would my powers help me find a particular demon?"

"Miko powers can be trained and used as anything from a weapon to a tracking device. And although I'm curious as to why you have an extinct power, I will not pry into your personal life. Where did you last see this demon?"

'_Oh, he just climbed in my window one day.' _Instead of bluntly answering, however, Kagome settled for telling Genkai that she had seen him in her city.

"That's odd. There aren't many demons roaming around in the human world, then again, Koenma hasn't been able to keep track of the ones who are weak enough to slip through the barrier." Genkai began to pace around the room, deep in thought.

"What?" Kagome was more than a little confused. Who was this Koenma person and exactly how many demons existed? One would think that after the feudal era that the demon race would be nearly nonexistent.

"Why do you seek this particular demon?" Genkai stopped pacing and turned hard eyes to Kagome.

"I want some answers. After I…encountered this demon, I've been feeling weird, and I was wondering if he did anything to me."

"I can teach you how to fully use your powers so that you can track this demon, but I warn you now, it wont be a walk in the park."

"Thank you, and not that I'm complaining, but why are you doing this for me?" Kagome asked, making it to her feet.

"It's the least that I can do considering that dimwit attacked you for no reason."

Kagome could only nod. And though Genkai's offer seemed generous, she couldn't help but think that the old woman was hiding something from her. "When can we start?"

"Whenever you feel that you're up to it. You did hit your head pretty hard on that tree. Do you feel dizzy or have a headache?"

"I hit my head?" When did that happen? And surprisingly, no, she didn't feel any form of pain. In fact, she felt like new, just like in her dream after the dragon had touched her. Wait, the dragon did something to her! "I'm fine, er, can you excuse me for a moment?"

Genkai raised a brow at the girl, but shrugged and left the room without complaint. When Kagome was sure that the old woman wasn't close, she lifted her shirt and looked down at her stomach, gasping at the sight. Wrapped around her navel was a miniature black dragon that looked like a tattoo.

0-0

"Are you sure that you're ready to start your training now?" Genkai tried to stop Kagome once more, even as they approached the dark forest.

"I'm positive," Kagome replied with more confidence in her voice that she had felt. Her skin tingled from just the feel of the forest before her, but if that meant that she would be able to locate the demon who took her virginity, then so be it. Besides, she had rested long enough, having slept the whole night away so that it was morning.

"Suit yourself. Considering the amount of control that you have over your energy, I want you to actively use it to seek out the demons in the forest. I want you to pinpoint their location and evade them, making it to the other end of this forest without any confrontations. You will be going in alone and unarmed. This is just an assessment test."

"Isn't that a little extreme?" Kagome nearly shrieked. Genkai was crazy, and it seemed like she was trying to kill her. "But—"

"No buts! You wanted this, so I don't want to hear you cry about it. Oh, and you have four hours, and I've already started the timer, so you better get going."

With a glare to the old bat, Kagome encased herself in her pure energy and headed toward the entrance. She could already tell that she was going to be in for one hell of a ride with Genkai's help.

When Kagome had disappeared into the forest, Kurama walked up to stand beside Genkai, gaining her attention. "Master Genkai, I don't mean to question your reasoning, but do you think that it was wise to send her in there given her condition?"

"This is coming from the guy who used Yoko as a mean of scaring her into confessing. What would you have done if he would have actually attacked her? And what is her condition? You didn't mention anything about her having any handicaps."

"He wouldn't have attacked her." Kurama stated matter-of-factly.

"How could you be so sure?" Genkai turned a questioning stare up at the red-head.

"Yesterday, I discovered something quite interesting on the train. It was double confirmed when Hiei—or rather his dragon—stepped into the small incident that had occurred. Afterwards, the dragon told me personally that she was under his protection. Sadly, I don't think that Hiei knows about it, yet." Kurama avoided Genkai's gaze, keeping his eyes locked onto the forest.

"You don't think that he knows about what? And are you implying that she is searching for Hiei?" Given the clue that Kurama was giving, Genkai took a wild guess.

"After hearing her real reason for being here, then yes, I believe so. Apparently, Kagome is pregnant with Hiei's child, and the only ones that are aware of this are his dragon and myself."

"You dimwit, didn't you think that you should have told me about this beforehand? You make Yusuke look smart!" Genkai yelled in disbelief.

Kurama shot the old woman a sideway glance. "And to make matters worse, Hiei is also in the dark forest..."

**Chapter End**

Well, sorry for another cliffhanger, but I had to do it again. Hopefully, I will be able to get the next chapter out quicker than eleven days—like this one—because I don't have to go across the country for a funeral, there are no more finals, and I don't have to pull any all-nighters because of term papers. I'm officially on Spring break!

Remember, your reviews motivate me to type faster, and I love them! Tell me how much you like or dislike this chapter, I'm dying to know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Beautiful Nightmare**

I would like to say thanks to all of my wonderful readers! Because of you, I have exceeded fifty reviews! You are the greatest!

I'm sorry that it took so long to update, but fanfiction wouldn't let me. Thanks to my brilliant best friend, however, I know how to bypass the error message so that I can update again. It sucked having the chapter ready for three days. Well, it's on here now, so that's all that matters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho

**Chapter Five**

Crimson eyes watched his prey with patience as she staggered through the dark forest. He found it amusing that she was trying so hard to detect the demons of the forest with her miko powers, yet she couldn't detect him. He didn't expect her to detect him, though—it was merely a fleeting thought.

A frown marred Hiei's otherworldly beauty when he began to yearn for something—he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. Normally, he wouldn't have paid it any mind, but it bothered him because _he_ wasn't the one yearning, yet he felt it as if it was himself feeling this way. Once again, he found himself experiencing things vicariously through the female who had cast a spell on him.

His anger flared, and he instinctively put his hand on his katana. Absentmindedly, he stroked the hilt, reminding himself that he couldn't slay her yet—he hadn't put enough fear in her. Due to the fact that he had blacked out earlier, he didn't get a chance to kill her when she was saturated in fear.

Ah, yes, why did he black out? The only thing that he had remembered was that he was about to take her head off with one swing, then he blacked out. Hiei didn't know what had caused him to faint, and the mystery plagued his mind. In fact, the only thing that he remembered after the incident was waking up in the forest next to Genkai's stairs. He planned on asking Kurama about it later.

An abnormal sound brought him out of his thoughts, causing him to focus on his current environment. He looked to the source, finding that the girl had fallen. Some unknown side of him wanted to run to her and pick her up, ensuring her safety. Another part of him wanted to kill her where she lay. He felt sickened from the thought of protecting her. Just what the hell did she do to him?

If Hiei thought that he was mad before, then he had sadly miscalculated. His body temperature increased, responding to his emotions. His jagan eye pulsed beneath the bandana on his forehead, ready for immediate use. With it, he probed into the girls mind, sending her the feral message to run.

With a satisfied look, he watched as the girl paused with a horrified look on her face. He heard her heartbeat quicken, and smelled her fear permeate the air. The scent was enticing, causing him to close his eyes and bask in it for a few moments. When he opened his eyes some time later, he found her frantically searching the area with her energy and eyes. When she failed to locate him, she started running. Her speed was impressive—for a human—but not enough to escape him.

His body flooded with anticipation at the sight before him. Her running away only added to the hunt—it was perfect. The prey fleeing from the predator was a game that he would never tire from. Without postponing her life any further, he began to hop from branch to branch, surpassing her. When she got close to his position, Hiei jumped down, blocking her path.

The shrill that came from here mouth had hurt his ears, but it served to be music to him. It was the song of fear, the song of impending doom. He couldn't resist allowing a sadistic smirk to cross his features. He looked into her chocolate brown eyes, loving the amount of terror that he saw in them. She turned to run, and he let her. He was too busy contemplating how he would kill her. Would he do it quick and painless or slow and painful? The answer was a no brainer.

He reached out with his right arm, grabbing a fistful of those midnight locks. With one firm tug, he snatched the miko backward, and she let out an indignant yelp as her bottom collided with the ground. Her small hands came up to grip his wrist, and she dug her weak nails into his skin, struggling against his hold. Wanting to toy with her, he crouched down and put his mouth close to her ear. "Are you scared?" He let out a dark chuckle when she refused to answer him, snatching her head back so that their eyes could meet. Her brown eyes were filled with tears that she had refused to let fall, providing him with another wave of satisfaction.

He tossed her to the side, reveling in her scream as is rung through the air. Before she hit the tree that she was heading toward, he used his accelerated speed and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her back to the said tree. The tree vibrated from the force, and a few leaves floated to the ground. Winded from the assault, the girl tried to suck air into her lungs, failing because of the hand that was cutting off her windpipe. Finding the method of choking her to death tactless, he released her, watching with a bored expression as she wheezed and clutched at her throat.

Hiei took slow deliberate steps around his prey, taking her in from every angle. She looked so helpless, so fragile. After her breathing regulated, he paused for a moment. No longer were her eyes the eyes of someone who was going to die. No, they were eyes of defiance, eyes that promised retribution no matter what the outcome was. He hated that look—it was insulting. She, a human, silently threatened him, a demon. As much as he wanted to torture her for hours, he didn't have the patience to deal with such foolishness.

Without much thought, he withdrew his sword, and sunk it into her chest cavity with the intent of carving her heart out.

0-0

Kagome slowly walked through the forest, keeping her senses alert. So far, she hadn't encountered any demons, but she wouldn't let her guard down. Up in the distance, she could tell that there were a group of demons, and they were low. Having to obey Genkai and avoid them, she took a detour to the left, watching out for the tree roots that had grown out of the ground. Despite the forest being eerie, it was quite calming, presenting the perfect environment to let her mind wander.

Immediately, the dragon and his words came to mind, causing her to wonder about why he kept beating around the bush. He continuously told her that he didn't care for humans, but then he transferred some of his energy to her, claiming that he would protect her when she was in danger. It just didn't make any sense!

A weird prickly sensation went through her stomach, stunning her for a moment. Gently, she laid her right hand on it, feeling an unnatural warmth flow through her hand. Trying to find out what was causing the warmth, she stopped walking, lifting her shirt up a little. She almost jumped when she saw that the black dragon was slowly rotating around her navel. She placed her fingers over the dragon, yelping when its power vibrated along her digits.

The dark power then surged through her body, being so strong that a dark glow illuminated from her skin. For a second, the power was overwhelming, but then it settled into her very being, changing her skin back into its regular pale color.

Kagome stood in awe, feeling rejuvenated. To see if there was something different about herself, she held a hand up, gasping when she saw every little detail of her palm, down to the faintest line. She then looked at a random tree, amazed at how she was able to see every feature of the rough trunk. She then realized that not only was her eyesight better, but her hearing was also improved. It was weird to be able to hear small demons scurrying around in the distance when the forest seemed quiet moments before. To further test to see how enhanced her senses were, she inhaled deeply, surprised to smell the different scents of the demons who had been through this area.

Pausing with her experimentations, Kagome realized that this was definitely not normal. "What's going on," she murmured to no one in particular.

_You've activated one of the powers that I've given you. Not only are your senses better, but you are stronger. Considering how weak you are, though, they will not stay heightened for long. The mark does a number of things, for it is linked directly to me. However, you will not see the full extent unless I allow it. You should feel honored, for you are the second person who bares my mark—the first human, to be exact._

Kagome frowned. How dare this dragon leave his mark on her, and then try to act all high and mighty, saying that she should feel honored. The last time that she checked, she didn't ask for any of this. "I don't want it, remove it."

_I could also kill you with that mark, so watch your tongue. Humans are so ungrateful. There were countless demons in the past that have tried to obtain my power and failed. You should consider yourself lucky._

Not wanting to continue her conversation, Kagome ignored the voice in her head. She knew that she would say a sarcastic remark should she reply, thus landing her in trouble.

Determined to go on like nothing unusual had happened, she resumed on her path, pausing when she felt a familiar energy. She knew that energy—it was the demon that she was looking for.

Her breath quickened from the anticipation. Yes, she had come all this way just to find him, but she didn't think that she would find him this soon. Even though she would not admit it, she couldn't wait to see him.

She covered up her true intentions with the justification that she had only wanted to ask him some questions. Ever since he had left that night, things had started getting crazy. Like now, for instance, she was ignoring the need to want to kill somebody. She had never wanted to take anyone's life, and she couldn't explain why she wanted to.

Pushing that thought aside, Kagome tried to figure out how she should react to the demon. Yes, she was excited to see him, but she couldn't act like a giddy school girl. She would just have to play it cool, for now.

She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder and up into the tree that she felt that the demon in. It was odd—she shouldn't have been able to detect him. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the dragon's power receded, leaving her to unable to detect the demon, even though she knew that he was still there.

0-0

Hiei came to, jumping to his feet on the branch that he was slumbering on. Unfamiliar with his surroundings, his crimson eyes wildly flickered over his environment, trying to figure out where he was. When he realized that he was in the dark forest, he relaxed a little until he heard some type of movement on the ground floor. Focusing on the ground level, he discovered that it was the miko. Was him taking her life just a dream? He scowled at the realization that he would have to kill her again, but, at the same time, reveled in the thought. There was nothing more satisfying than killing somebody twice, even if one was just a dream.

With the intent on stalking his prey, he hid in the shadows of the leaves on a nearby tree, watching her, waiting for the right time. Wanting to strike fear in her just like in the dream, Hiei opened the jagan, telling her to run through telepathy. Unlike in his dream where she became afraid, however, she merely paused in a quiet calm. Given that her back was to him, he didn't see the expression on her face, but the air wasn't with her fear. No, the air was filled with… anticipation. The dragon on his arm shifted, causing him to growl at the damned thing's response.

"I know that you're up there, and, no, I'm not running." She turned to the direction that he was in, and chocolate eyes stared up at the exact tree that he was hidden within. It was as if the miko had perfect visibility of his position, but he knew that she didn't. What type of mind game was she playing? Regardless of the situation, he refused to obey her.

Her boldness irritated Hiei beyond no end, yet it excited him at the same time. His member jumped in his pants as he anticipated taming that miko again. Thinking about the way that she cried out while he pounded into her slick folds invigorated him. His body grew hot, and it felt like he was wearing too many clothes.

Before he could ponder too much on his erotic thoughts, he stopped himself. He was here to kill this woman, not have fantasies about her. She was definitely crowding his head, and the quicker he could rid world of her, the better. She was too dangerous to be left breathing.

Silently, he jumped down, drawing his sword in the process. Swiftly, he started toward the miko, ready to send his katana through her back to get to her heart. She turned as he was thrusting the sword forward, so he had to quickly change his aim so that he may have the same outcome. Immediately, his sword came in contact with resistance as energy that held the form of a black flame emerged and engulfed his katana, blocking him from piercing her skin. Still, he persisted and used all of his power, only to be warded off. Under the pressure, his sword shattered as if it was glass, leaving him flabbergasted.

He dropped the hilt of his broken sword from the shock of the situation. An ominous wind blew, wafting her freesia scent into his nostrils, and he met her questioning gaze so that he may find his hatred for her to counter the tightening in his clothes. He seemed to be drawn further into her enchantment, not against it like he had hoped.

"You just tried to kill me, didn't you," her voice accused, sending shivers down his spine. He hated the way that he lusted after this human, and somehow, he couldn't remember why he wanted to kill her.

Hiei's gaze hardened into a glare at her stupidity, and he disregarded his body's demands. No, he only swung a sword at her to court her, what the hell else would she think? He didn't like whatever was going on, and he would _not_ succumb to the human's mind games.

While denying the thought that he couldn't hurt her, he grabbed for her throat with his right hand. Just like his sword, his hand came in contact with an unknown energy, and it was engulfed with a black flame. Impulsively, he pulled his hand back and looked it, evaluating it. Upon figuring out that it was his dragon's energy, he snarled with annoyance, and the flame absorbed into his skin. "Just what the hell did you do to me?"

"Huh?" The miko held a look of pure innocence, clearly puzzled. "I don't know what you're talking about." Before she could continue, he interrupted her.

"Liar!" His energy ignited, making it seem like streaks of black thunder was coming from the ground below him.

The miko backed up, shielding her face with her arms, and her miko energy responded with hostility, encasing her with a faint soft blue light. "I didn't lie! If anything, I should be asking _you_ what you did to me! Ever since that night, I've been feeling odd, and I haven't been in control of my emotions!"

Surprisingly, Hiei's energy died down. The information that she had present him with had caught him off guard. For a moment, he contemplated if it was indeed his fault that he had been feeling off lately, but what could he have possibly have done to cause such an effect, and how did the dragon fit into this?

"Well, are you going to answer me, or are you going to continue to be rude? And I have yet to learn your name!" The girl was practically in his face yelling, ceasing his thought process.

No, there was no way in hell he was the cause of all of this. She was the culprit, not himself, he concluded. There was possibly no way that his dragon would willingly protect a human, so she had to somehow manipulate it with her energy, forcing it to work for her, too. That had to be the answer.

Figuring that he could counter the dark energy that was willingly protecting her with his own, Hiei stomped on the edge of the hilt from his previously broken sword, causing it to spiral up into the air. Without looking, he grabbed the hilt out of the air and channeled his energy into it, creating a sword of the darkness flame. In the blink of an eye, he was behind her with his right arm wrapped around her midsection and his left holding the energy sword to her throat.

"I will not ask again. What the hell did you do to me," he spoke into her ear, trying his best not to breathe in her scent. Before she had a chance to answer, his right arm began to tingle and grow numb. In response, he tried to ignore the sensation. It wasn't until a black ball of condensed energy started to form that he began to pay attention. He tried to remove his arm from her stomach, but didn't retrieve it in time. The black ball grew and swallowed both he and the miko, morphing them together.

0-0

She awoke to a candlelit hallway with the numerous doors. She remembered this place from when she first encountered the dragon, but why was she here now? Had she almost died again?

_No, now stand._

She scowled at the command, but obeyed, nonetheless. Just like before, she started her trek up the hall, eyeing the doors with the words written in blood on them. The last time that she was here, she was too afraid to take a peek inside of any of the doors, but this time around, her curiosity seemed to be getting the better of her. "Can I see what's inside of these doors?"

_In due time, but for now, you may only enter the door labeled with stagnation._

Without saying another word, Kagome continued on until she came upon the door with stagnation written across it. She looked for a doorknob, but didn't find one. "Um, how am I supposed to open it?"

_Lay your palm upon it._

Slightly sickened at the thought of having to touch the unknown blood, she reluctantly pressed her hand against it. The door transformed into a black orb, and she stuck her right hand in, testing to see if it was safe. Without warning, she was dragged into the orb.

0-0

The sound of screeching snatched her away from her slumber, causing her to open her eyes and assess her surroundings. She was sitting on the floor in a dark room, and she was able to see perfectly fine.

As if it was embedded in her mind, she got up and made sure that her sword was secured on her waist. After finding it in its correct spot, Kagome headed to the door—she had duties to perform, and she couldn't sleep the whole day away. When she pushed the door open, the corners of her lips upturned discreetly. The scent of blood—fresh and old—floated into her nose like the sweetest perfume, and she reveled in the scent. After recovering from the effects that the blood had on her, she headed to the left, paying no mind to the various demons that were in the room.

After calmly making her way through an unusual hallway that had body parts protruding from its walls, she stopped at a door, pushing it open. Inside was a female demon who had half of a robotic body. Kagome didn't wait for the demon to acknowledge her, speaking first. "What is there to do?" She didn't freak out when the voice didn't belong to her, but then, she wasn't in control of her actions.

"Make sure that our army is intact. Soon, Raizen will be no more, and we need to be fully prepared to take over."

She turned and walked out of the room without another word. To say that she was satisfied with the way that things were now would be a lie. Ever since she became Mukuro's second-in-command, her life had been at a standstill. If she wasn't conditioning the demon army, she was training, yet she wasn't getting stronger. She was at her peak, and her power had leveled out. At one point in time, she was driven by her power, lusting after the need to get stronger, now, however, it all seemed pointless, or maybe she just didn't care anymore. Then again, when did she ever care for anything or anyone other than her sister and her… friends?

Her two friends—referring to them as such was still awkward—were on opposing sides of the three sided demon world battle, leaving her to come to the decision that she could no longer trust them. And her sister was safe with Genkai in the human world, so she would stick to just watching over her occasionally when the workload was small. Therefore, she was stuck in this world, alone. Not that it mattered either way, though. She was used to being alone, but never had she felt such so… tired of it all.

She felt like there was no more progressing. She had everything that she had ever wanted—power, her sister's protection, and her mother's stone. So why did she feel like she was just a waste of space that was just going through the motions of life? In her world there was nothing left for her. As a result, she wanted nothing more than to perish—there was no reason for her to remain alive, if that is what her being in existence even meant.

Despite her thoughts, however, she would never just kill herself. No, that was the coward's way out and it was bland. She wanted to die with honor in the midst of battle, just like she had with her fight with Shigure. Damn Mukuro for saving her life—she didn't ask to be saved. Her life will never obtain another purpose; therefore, she will never have another reason to live.

The whole room went black, taking Kagome away from the world that she didn't belong. It was weird, living the life of someone else—it felt like she had watched a movie from a first person point of view. Her thoughts ended with a sudden of loss of consciousness.

0-0

Kagome slowly sat up, somewhat disoriented. Looking around she noticed that she was back in the dark forest, more importantly, her own body. After gathering herself, she looked for the demon, and she found him a few feet away from her, staring at her with a stoic expression.

In that moment, her heart went out to him. Her vicarious experience had given her a new insight. He was alone and on the road to self-destruction. Although she didn't know anything about him other than what she had just experienced, she vowed to herself that she would save him from himself if it was the last thing that she did.

**Chapter End**

Remember, your reviews motivate me to type faster, and I love them! Tell me what you think of this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Beautiful Nightmare**

I'm so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out! Writer's block is evil! Seriously, because of you all, I sat at my computer for hours, staring at the screen until more ideas came out. Sometimes it's hard to turn thoughts into words, but I managed with your help.

Also, thank you everyone for all of the publicity! Your reviews helped me much more than you think. Really, eighty-two reviews for my previous chapters! Wow! I'm blown away! Thanks for contributing, and I love you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha nor Yu Yu Hakusho.

**Chapter Six**

Hiei watched as the enormous boomerang deflected off of the mirror that the child before him was holding. He wanted to scream, warning Sango to move, but his mouth refused to spit the words out. In what seemed to play out in slow motion, the Hiraikotsu struck Sango, knocking her backwards. The force drove her into Shippo, sending both of them crashing to the floor. A split second later, the offending weapon slammed into the floor behind him, causing him to flinch and tighten his hold on the younger human girl, Koharu.

Time seemed to have returned to normal, and immediately, he worried about his friends' well-being. A blow like that has killed demons before, and he wasn't too sure if Sango's human body could withstand it, not to mention little Shippo received the weight of the full grown human. "Sango, Shippo, are you alright?" Hiei ran to the female and crouched by her side, disregarding that he was in a battle zone with the enemy no more than a few feet away. It also didn't matter that the voice that came from his vocal chords didn't belong to him. "Sango, say something!" His friend couldn't be dead, she had to be alive!

It was then that the child dressed from head to toe in white took a step forward, reminding him that he had other matters to attend to. "Hm?" He turned his head to the eerie girl dressed in white.

"Kagome."

He climbed to his feet, not wanting to be in a vulnerable position in front of the enemy._ 'That young girl is the demon?'_ The thought was not his own.

When footsteps began to advance on him from behind, he tried to turn with as much speed as his human body would allow. Sadly, he wasn't fast enough, and Koharu hooked her arms under his, holding him in place. Hiei tried to struggle free from the grasp, but he failed to break free. "Koharu, what're you doing?" A weak human growl escaped from his lips. He abruptly ceased his struggling, and his attention was diverted from Koharu as the demon girl in white rotated the mirror in her hands.

"Look into my mirror. Give your soul," the demon spoke in an impassive voice.

Unable to control himself, he did as the young demon instructed. Soon, he realized that it was a mistake. From deep within, he could feel something being pulled out of him. It felt like he was losing the very essence of his being, and he felt himself disconnecting from his body. It didn't take too long to realize that he was losing his soul, and upon that discovery, he fought against it with his depleting power. He had already lost half of it to Kikyo, and he wouldn't lose what he had left. With a boost of willpower, he was able to hold some of his soul to him—the rest had already gone into the mirror.

Although Hiei had retained some of his soul, there was still a continuous pull coming from the mirror for the remainder of it. When he was sure that the rest of his soul was safe within himself, he realized that his senses were weak. The room that he was in appeared to be dark and blurry, noises were muffled, and he could barely feel his body. Perhaps he had lost more of his soul than he had originally thought.

A distant thud reached his ears, and he had the vague impression that he was lying instead of standing. With much effort, he was able to focus his eyes a little, and he discovered that he was indeed no longer standing, if the distorted view of the demon's feet was any indication. He tried desperately to speak, but was unable to get out any words. Without preamble, the pull on his soul stopped, and the demon started speaking.

"How strange, I cannot subdue her soul." The demon's voice barely reached his ears. She took a few steps forward in his blurry vision. "Still, you are unable to move, are you not? I desire the shard of the sacred jewel that you possess. Give it to me."

Something within him clicked at those words, and he knew that he couldn't just let this demon take the piece of the jewel that he had. Kikyo had already taken the last piece—which was almost completed— and he would be damned if he gave this piece away without a fight. With a newfound power, he forced his senses to start back working properly. All at once, his vision cleared, his hearing increased to normal, and he could feel his body somewhat.

He looked up at the demon that was no more than a few feet away and he forced himself to sit up, raising his bow in the process. His body felt drained and weak, and his head swam from the fast movement, but he didn't care. Fighting through the dizziness, he aimed his arrow at the girl, ready to purify her should she make a wrong move.

"Sango! Kagome! She's the other demon!" The vibrations of Miroku's footfalls behind him told him of the monk's arrival but he disregarded it, staying focused on the demon before him.

The demon child turned and walked away, and when he was sure that she was gone, he allowed himself to fall forward—his body was still too weak from the soul drain.

"Kagome, are you harmed? W-what've she done?" Miroku's loud voice boomed through his ears.

A headache started to form from the volume of the monk's words. Too tired to respond, he ignored the male and kept his position on the floor.

"Kirara, it's you! Uh-oh! Kagome!" Shippo's high-pitched voice assaulted his headache even more.

"Shippo, what exactly went on here?" Miroku asked the kit.

"Miroku, didn't you see the white demon? She was trying to draw Kagome's soul into her evil mirror."

Despite wanting to just lay there and recover, something within him kept nagging at him, telling him that he had something else to attend to. Unsure of what he needed to do but not wanting to ignore the nagging, he propped himself up on his elbows. Just then, it hit him—he needed to go to Inuyasha's side.

"Kagome's soul?" Miroku questioned.

"Where's Inuyasha? I need to get to Inuyasha!" Hiei demanded with a frail tone. He pushed down on the floor, lifting his upper body up. Due to his lack of strength, however, he collapsed back to the ground. The half demon needed his help, he could just feel it. Missing most of his soul or not, he would not let anything bad happen to Inuyasha, even if it meant that he would have to crawl to him.

"Let me get Sango on Kirara, and then we'll go to him."

Impatiently, he used all of his physical power to make it to a sitting position. Panting at the effort that it took on his behalf, he used his bow as a crutch, making it to his feet. He held onto the weapon to keep himself upright, unable to do nothing more. It seemed to take forever for the monk to make it to his side, but he did eventually.

Within seconds, he was positioned on Miroku's back, and although he didn't trust being so close to the perverted monk in this vulnerable state, he was almost certain that Miroku wouldn't try anything inappropriate. Even if the monk _did_ try to grope him, he knew that he had just enough energy to knock the shit out of him.

He weakly grasped Miroku's shoulders, and before long, he had slipped into unconsciousness with Inuyasha plaguing his last thoughts.

0-0

Finding himself sprawled out on the ground with the girl on top of him is how Hiei awakened. Immediately, he moved the girl off of him and jumped to his feet. He took this time of peace to gather his thoughts, wondering why he had just lived through one of the girl's past experiences. Did the jagan malfunction? No, it has never done that before. Thinking back, he remembered that the dragon had a part in all of this, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

The sound of the girl sitting up caught his attention, and he looked to her with an impassive expression. Why did the dragon protect her? She was worthless and annoying. From the memory that he lived of hers, he concluded that she was weak physically, but her determination made her strong. She was a save-the-day type of person who selflessly put everyone before herself. Really, who would lose some of their soul and disregard the unspoken rule of resting to get better for the sake of saving a demon—a half demon at that? People like her disgusted him.

"Life is still worth living," her voice reached his ears, doing unholy things to his body.

His stoic expression turned into a hard glare as he looked her straight into her chocolate eyes. He didn't know what she was talking about, but that wasn't important at the moment. "What have you done to my dragon?" Venom dripped from his voice.

A confused expression made its way on the girl's face, and she tilted her head slightly to the side. "Your dragon…?" She looked thoughtful for a second before her face lit up with recognition. "You're its owner?"

A flat look crossed Hiei's features. Her small talk of beating around the bush was pissing him off. "What did you do to it?"

Fed up with being disrespected, Kagome got on her feet and met Hiei's glare with one of her own. "I'm getting tired of how you keep talking to me! If you have a question, the correct way to ask it would be in a nice, respectable manner."

Hiei's eyes narrowed at the bold human in front of him. Never before had a female been so foolish as to speak to him like that. He found it aggravating and… arousing. His blood boiled with hatred and lust. And try as he might, he could not ignore the latter if the member below his belt was any indicator.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Let's start over. My name is Kagome, and yours is?"

Hiei glared at the girl in front of him. How stupid was she? He had tried to kill her, and it was evident that he didn't like her. "I have no desire to become acquainted with you."

With a huff, she placed her hands on her hips. "You don't have to be so rude about it!"

"Stop avoiding my question!" He would have loved to choke the life out of the infuriating human, and the only thing stopping him was the memory of making a fool of himself earlier that day thanks to his dragon.

"I'm not avoiding your question! You're the one who came into my room in the dead of the night! I should be asking you why your dragon keeps bothering me!"

Her last question caught Hiei off guard. Never before had he considered the idea of his dragon willingly seeking out this human girl. Given the information that no one but him has been able to tame it, though, her story seemed ludicrous. But what if it held some form of truth to it? No, he wouldn't believe anything without proof. "What makes you think that I would believe that my dragon sought you out?"

Looking to be fed up with the meaningless argument, Kagome lifted her shirt enough to only expose her navel. Crimson eyes latched on to her stomach, and he saw the evidence that backed up her argument. A miniature dragon was wrapped around her navel, and judging from the energy that it gave off, it was indeed his dragon's mark.

Every logical reason to her truth eluded him, and for the first time in a while, Hiei found himself flabbergasted. Since when did his dragon go around marking humans? Hell, it even went so far as to protect the miko from him, and it has never denied him a kill before.

Wanting to probe her of all of the information that she contained, Hiei cast the bandana that was wrapped around his jagan aside. He opened his third eye and delved deep into the girl's mind, coming in contact with a powerful miko barrier. He expected her to have such defenses, but if she wanted to keep him out of her mind, then she would have to do better than that. With little difficulty, he broke through her mental defenses, racking through her memories to find the answers to his questions.

A shrilling scream escaped Kagome's lips from the searing pain that soared through her head. Gripping her head with both hands, she fell to her knees. Her pleas to stop went unnoticed.

Hiei ceased to care about the pain that he was causing the girl as he came upon her recent memories. He started at the one of the night when he first encountered her, then progressed forward. In a matter of seconds, Hiei had effectively scanned through her mind, experiencing all of her emotions, actions, and thoughts until he found the conversations that his dragon had with her.

Abruptly, he pulled out of her mind, saving his eardrums from the pain that the girl was causing them with her screaming. Everything about her infuriated him. Why, of all the creatures that was lurking in the three worlds, would the dragon take an interest in her? She was a good fuck that relieved him in the moment of heat, yes, but beyond that she wasn't anything but a pathetic human. From the thoughts that he picked up, she had become fascinated with him because of that one night, and after seeing some of his memories because of his damn dragon, she was determined to save him from his current path of destruction. He didn't need nor want to be saved, and he damned sure didn't want another human becoming a part of his life.

Hiei came to a conclusion—his problems were with his dragon, not the female panting on the ground before him. Even though he still wanted to slit her throat, she wasn't the cause of the unwelcomed changes occurring with him, his dragon was.

With the intent of leaving her on the ground unharmed—mainly because the dragon protected her from him, not because he was being nice—he turned his back on her, ready to go back to the demon world. At least he could kill something there, effectively calming his nerves.

"Wait!" the girl called out. When Hiei ignored her, Kagome tried again. "Where are you going?"

"I'm being so gracious as to leave your pathetic life intact. Take that and go." Seriously, you fuck a human once, and they expect to be your friend.

"I don't even know your name," Kagome whispered dejectedly in a broken voice. She hadn't even realized that she was crying until a violent sob ripped through her. To be honest, she didn't even know why she was crying, yet she couldn't stop the steady flow that was cascading from her eyes. The tears were her own, yet they weren't. Although the mental anguish that tore through her was very real, it seemed misplaced, like it didn't originate from her.

Hiei stopped in his stride. A rare wave of sympathy washed through him by hearing her obvious tears, and he scowled. This was the reason why he had wanted to dispose of her in the first place. These emotions—they were foreign, and he could live without them. He had lived without them. So why had they decided to surface now? Or perhaps they weren't his.

Turning to tell the girl that her tears were wasted, Hiei paused. The large brown eyes that stared at him held immense sadness and pain, triggering something within him. Never had he seen someone look so… broken. Somewhere deep down, something asked him would he be able to walk away if it was Yukina and not Kagome crying like this. Of course, he dismissed the thought before he was able to harbor on it for too long.

Kagome watched as the three-eyed demon scowled at her before disappeared from sight, and she had a fleeting thought to follow him. She never knew that the rejection of a complete stranger could hurt as much as it did. Then again, she had never experienced such a thing before. She wanted to scream to the heavens, but she knew that it wouldn't bring the rude demon back. In fact, she couldn't figure out why she even wanted him to come back. He had made it clear to her that he didn't want to have anything to do with her, so she was just wasting her time. Still, it felt like a piece of her had left with the demon—whether it was because he had taken her virginity or the fact that she missed being in the presence of demons was unknown.

Without the knowledge of what course of action that she should take, Kagome remained on her knees. Her determination to save the demon hadn't depleted one bit, in fact, it had increased. However, she knew that the chances of encountering him once more were scarce, further dampening her mood.

Without realizing it, she had become attached to the demon in such a short course of time. He had presented her with something new in her rather bleak and predictable life. Most of all, he had given her a distraction from Inuyasha, giving her the flicker of hope that she could move on. In a way, she did move on, abandoning the half demon. In the end, however, it didn't do her much good. What is there to gain from transitioning her focus from what was lost to what can't be obtained?

The fates were indeed cruel in their treatment of her, but she couldn't let them stop her. She had made a vow that she would save the demon from himself, and she would be damned to break it. It was possibly the only thing that she had going for her at the moment, even if it was an illogical and unmanageable task.

"Kagome," a voice called out, causing the woman tense. She hadn't realized that someone was near, too absorbed in strengthening her resolution.

Turning, her clouded vision accommodated the barely visible sight of the person approaching her from the shelter that the trees had provided him with. She didn't try to hide the fact that she was still crying, having long ago lost the ability to care what others thought of her.

When the person had come within touching distance, she looked up, identifying who they were. Instantly, an idea as to how she could relocate the crimson-eyed demon surfaced.

0-0

If there was one thing that Hiei was grateful for, it was the vast amount of land that Genkai owned. He was able to find an isolated area in the hundreds of acres that belonged to her, thus providing him with the privacy that he needed to carry out his intended task. He knew that he wouldn't receive the peace required if he had immediately gone back to the makai.

Assuming a comfortable sitting position high in the tree that he had taken refuge in, Hiei closed his natural eyes and opened the jagan. With the third eye, he was able to access the realm of the dragon through their physical link.

Within moments, Hiei found himself in the all too familiar lair of the dragon. Quickly, he made his way down the corridor lit by black-flamed candles, ignoring the slight chill in the air. Every step brought him closer to the dragon, but most of all, it brought him closer to his past.

Eventually, he was in between his life's records in the shape of eleven doors. He had never understood the dragon's reasoning for having such things in its realm, and he didn't appreciate the foul creature sharing one of the doors with the miko. It was betrayal and a desecration of their unspoken treaty. Just thinking about the invasion of privacy fueled his anger—it didn't matter to him that he invaded other's privacy as well.

His stride increased until he was standing in front of the massive wooden door that contained the dragon. It was odd that he made it this far without the dragon speaking to him, but he didn't care about the circumstances that may have caused the eerie silence. Knowing that the dragon knew that he was there, he proceeded into the door without so much as a warning—the dragon didn't deserve respect after how it deceived him with the miko.

_Is there a reason why you've decided to come? _Hiei knew that the all too familiar, cold voice reverberated from the large dragon despite it not opening its mouth. Its silver eyes stared down at the fire demon with interest.

Hiei scowled. He knew that the dragon knew the reason for his visit, and he hated that the creature would waste his time with nonsense. "Cut the crap. What the hell did you do to me, and why would you place your mark on that worthless creature?"

The black-flamed candles lining the large room waved violently due to the large gust that emitted from the dragon's nostrils. Its silver eyes narrowed at the small demon before him. Clearly he hadn't been too happy about Hiei's disrespect. _Quiet fool!_

Hiei mirrored the dragon by narrowing his eyes as well, angered even more by the creature's words. He was not a fool, and he wouldn't tolerate being called such a thing. "What was that?" His energy crackled around him. If it was a fight that the dragon wanted, then he would provide it. He was certain that he could take on the beast, given the fact that he had tamed its power.

_You are out of line and have forgotten that you are not my superior. You think that just because you use my power—with my permission—that you are strong. In reality, it is my power, not yours. You will not hold your ground against me in battle. As for my marking of the miko, I owe you no explanation, but you will know in due time._

A growl escaped Hiei. How dare this dragon even think for a second that he was beneath it? It was infuriating to be belittled by such a thing. Just when he was about to rise to the apparent challenge, black flames encircled him, binding his arms to his side and his legs together. Struggling against the energy bondage, Hiei tried to free himself to no avail.

_You can't even break free from a simple binding, pathetic! Leave now!_

Instantly, Hiei found himself in his physical body where he had left it. A scowl instantly marred his features, and he found himself ripping the bandages off of his right arm. The dragon thought that it had control over Hiei, but it was wrong.

With his arm exposed, he began to claw at it with the intent to remove the dragon. However, his arm remained unharmed no matter how hard he scratched at it. It was times like this where he wished he hadn't broken his katana. In a fit of rage, he began to scrape his arm against the tree that he currently occupied, receiving no new results. One way or another, he concluded, the dragon would come off of his arm, even if he had to cut off the whole limb.

He was under nobody's control, and he would not be treated as such.

**Chapter End**

Remember, your reviews help! Seriously, this chapter busted my brain, and without your encouragement, I would have taken longer to produce this. Let all of your thoughts and questions about this chapter go into a review—I'm dying to know what you think of this chapter, especially since I stayed up all night to finish the last three pages and edit.

Last but not least, I promise that it will not take over three months to get the next chapter out.


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